Deer spotted running through the corridors of UK hospital's maternity ward
Fallow deer in the early hours
Twitter/Element Miller
Patients and staff were treated to an almighty surprise in the early hours of Monday morning, after two deer snuck into Derriford Hospital in Plymouth.
In a video circulating on social media, two fallow deer can be seen trotting down the hallway of what is believed to have been the maternity ward.
A spokesperson for the hospital said the deer had snuck into the fifth floor via the back door and remained inside the building for a few minutes before they were “encouraged” to leave.
The video was initially posted to social media with the caption: “Not every day you see a couple of Deer running down the corridors of Derriford Hospital.”
A spokesperson for University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust said: "Two deer managed to get into the corridor on Level 5 in the early hours of Monday morning.
“The deer were inside for three minutes and were gently encouraged to leave by members of staff.
"Cleaning teams were then called to sanitise the corridor.
“The animals did not and could not go into clinical areas or wards and did not come into any contact with patients.
Fallow deer like those roaming Derriford Hospital can reach 4ft tall when adults without taking into account the males’ antlers.
Unsplash
"Those who live near Derriford will know that deer are no strangers to the surrounding areas. The deer accessed via a door that had been left open and we would remind staff and visitors to please close doors behind them and not to feed the deer as they are wild animals and shouldn’t be encouraged within a busy hospital setting.
"We will be monitoring that entrance and increasing our security patrols at night to ensure the deer do not try and visit again."
One of the deer, named Lucky, is apparently a "regular around there and the industrial estates."
The hospital reiterated that the deer had not come into contact with any patients.
ANIMALS IN FOCUS:
A surreal scene
Twitter/Element Miller
Paul James, who runs social media account Plymouth Deer, told the Mail: “Fallow deer should be wild and running away from human activity.
“When you have a 100kg male buck in a ward of a hospital you have a safety issue, especially when they are rutting, which they will in a matter of weeks.
“They are dangerous.”
Fallow deer akin to those roaming Derriford Hospital can reach 4ft tall when adults without taking into account the males’ antlers.
Derriford Hospital is managed by the University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust and is used for clinical training of medical students from the Plymouth University Peninsula School of Medicine.