A group of yobs assaulted a wild stag by pulling on its antlers and trying to jump on its back at a park in Nottingham.
Three men were captured on film during the attack on the innocent animal by a wildlife photographer at Wollaton Park.
Police are now searching for the trio, who all wore hoodies, gilets and tracksuit bottoms while they “bullied” the animal as their friends watched on.
Photographer Chris Golightly, who was horrified by what she witnessed, immediately reported the incident to a park ranger.
A group of yobs assaulted a wild stag (not pictured)
Wikimedia Commons
The group fled the scene before the rangers could catch them.
Golightly, who is in her 60s, estimated that there were about seven people in the group, with three going right up to the deer.
She said: “I had gone to the park to photograph the deer, as I always do, and I could see from a distance away a deer sitting on its own with people approaching.
“They grabbed its antlers, shook its head and slapped the deer on the rump.”
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Th men pulled on its antlers and tried to jump on its back (stag not pictured)
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She said she was too far away to help so alerted a nearby park ranger and showed them the images she had just taken.
“I was horrified at their shocking behaviour,” the photographer added.
“It is bullying and an act of animal cruelty.”
As well as launching an investigation, Nottinghamshire Police have issued a fresh appeal urging members of the public to avoid getting too close to the animals.
Wollaton Hall’s grounds are home to more than 200 deer.
A Nottingham City Council spokesperson said: “It is disappointing when matters such as this are brought to our attention.
Nottingham City Council slammed the behaviour of the men
PA
“The deer at Wollaton Park are wild animals and this needs to be respected.
“Unfortunately there are still a small number of visitors who choose to ignore the signage and try to approach, risking injury and unsettling the deer.
“This is incredibly dangerous and the animals should be left in peace to roam and be observed from a distance.
“The actions seen in the photograph are foolhardy and could have led to a much more serious incident and would have also distressed the deer involved.”
The RSPCA said: “We don’t know the specific circumstances of this incident, but these images do appear to be potentially worrying. Deer are extremely susceptible to stress – it can be very dangerous for them.
“Generally, if someone has concerns about the treatment of any animal, we’d urge them to report this to us so our teams can make the necessary enquiries. If the member of the public has photos or video to share, they can advise the call handler of this too.“