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WILDLIFE

Deer gets lost, wanders into Italian bakery

A deer walks into a bakery... It might sound like the start of a bad joke, but it happened in Italy on Thursday morning and here's the video to prove it.

Published: 12 April 2018 17:18 CEST
Deer gets lost, wanders into Italian bakery
A young deer (not this one) got lost in a bakery in central Italy. Photo: Arno Burgi/DPA/AFP

The young fawn was filmed standing behind the counter of a bread shop in Ortona, a small town in the central Abruzzo region.

The clip, shared by local animal welfare officer Antonella Di Mascio, shows the animal looking a little bewildered among the fresh loaves. 

The deer is thought to have wandered out of nearby woodland and got lost. 

After one of the bakery staff alerted the authorities, it was checked by a vet who said the deer was in good health – just a little frightened by finding itself surrounded by so many people, after a small crowd formed to see it.

The deer has since been safely returned to the wild by forest rangers.

Urban encounters with wildlife are increasingly frequent, according to Italy's nature authorities, who say it's common at this time of year to spot fawns who appear to be on their own. If you see one it's best to keep your distance, in case the mother is nearby and might be scared off by seeing humans approach her fawn; call a vet or the forest rangers instead.

Not that people in Abruzzo need advice on living in close proximity with wild animals. In the nearby mountain town of Civitella Messer Raimondo, locals say they have made “friends” with a lone wolf who roams their streets at night, eating the occasional unlucky cat.

The rugged region is also home to bears, boar, foxes and other wild creatures who don't always stay within the bounds of its extensive national parks.

READ ALSO: A herd of 'rebel cows' has been living wild in the Italian mountains for years

A herd of 'rebel cows' has been living wildly in the Italian mountains for years
Photo: antb/Depositphotos

PARIS

Fluffy nuisance: Outcry as Paris sends Invalides rabbits into exile

Efforts to relocate wild rabbits that are a common sight on the lawns of the historic Invalides memorial complex have provoked criticism from animal rights groups.

Published: 14 February 2024 13:01 CET
Fluffy nuisance: Outcry as Paris sends Invalides rabbits into exile

Tourists and Parisians have long been accustomed to the sight of wild rabbits frolicking around the lawns of Les Invalides, one of the French capital’s great landmarks.

But efforts are underway to relocate the fluffy animals, accused of damaging the gardens and drains around the giant edifice that houses Napoleon’s tomb, authorities said.

Police said that several dozen bunnies had been captured since late January and relocated to the private estate of Breau in the Seine-et-Marne region outside Paris, a move that has prompted an outcry from animal rights activists.

“Two operations have taken place since 25 January,” the police prefecture told AFP.

“Twenty-four healthy rabbits were captured on each occasion and released after vaccination” in Seine-et-Marne, the prefecture said.

Six more operations are scheduled to take place in the coming weeks.

Around 300 wild rabbits live around Les Invalides, according to estimates.

“The overpopulation on the site is leading to deteriorating living conditions and health risks,” the prefecture said.

Authorities estimate the cost of restoring the site, which has been damaged by the proliferation of underground galleries and the deterioration of gardens, pipes and flora, at €366,000.

Animal rights groups denounced the operation.

The Paris Animaux Zoopolis group said the rabbits were being subjected to “intense stress” or could be killed “under the guise of relocation”.

“A number of rabbits will die during capture and potentially during transport,” said the group, accusing authorities of being “opaque” about their methods.

The animal rights group also noted that Breau was home to the headquarters of the Seine-et-Marne hunting federation.

The police prefecture insisted that the animals would not be hunted.

In 2021, authorities classified the rabbits living in Paris as a nuisance but the order was reversed following an outcry from animal groups who have been pushing for a peaceful cohabitation with the animals.

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