How the Muntjac Deer Ended Up Inside M&S
A female muntjac deer became trapped inside a ground-floor escalator at the Marks & Spencer store on Rampant Horse Street in Norwich. The incident happened at around 5:30 PM BST on Tuesday, May 13.
The animal was found wedged between two glass panels on the ground floor, upside down next to the escalator handrail. Rescuers noted the deer sustained only a minor cut to its foot despite being stuck in a precarious position.
No one had any idea how the animal actually got into the shop. Operations manager Stefanie Leary at Hillside Animal Sanctuary said: "It is unusual to find a muntjac in Norwich city — maybe she just wandered in there and got a bit panicked, and when they get panicked, they run."
The Rescue Operation That Freed Lucky Lucy
M&S staff temporarily closed the store's Rampant Horse Street entrance to reduce stress on the deer and worked to keep her calm until rescuers arrived. Hillside Animal Sanctuary freed the deer within five minutes from a narrow six-inch gap.
The rescuer held on to the deer tightly around the neck and shoulders, not wanting it racing around Marks & Spencer. Valentine remarked the deer appeared more frightened than physically harmed. "It was fine, more petrified than anything," she said.
Hillside founder Wendy Valentine described the rescue as "certainly one to remember," praising M&S staff who had done everything possible to keep the deer calm and quiet, including shutting the entrance until help arrived.
What Happens to Lucy Now
Staff at the sanctuary named the deer Lucky Lucy due to her minimal injuries. Lucy is currently recovering at the sanctuary alongside 100 other deer, where she is being fed a specialised diet of natural vegetation. "She's now settled and I'm feeding her several times a day. She particularly likes dandelions, hawthorn leaves and bramble leaves," a sanctuary worker said.
Lucy will remain permanently at the sanctuary because, as a muntjac, she cannot legally be released back into the wild. Muntjac deer are classified as an invasive species in the UK, originally introduced from China during the 20th century and now widespread across southern England.
Why Urban Deer Rescues Are Becoming More Common
Hillside Animal Sanctuary is now called out to countless emergency deer rescues, often receiving several calls in a single day from the public involving road-injured deer or deer trapped in unusual and life-threatening situations.
Wildlife rescuers link the rise in such incidents directly to expanding housing developments and road construction. "With so many roads being built, how much of the natural area has been destroyed, and it's taking over all their habitat," Leary said. "There are hundreds of houses being built on their homes." The sanctuary has recently purchased woodland specifically to support both rescued and wild deer populations in Norfolk.
