Plastic pollution: Deer died after plastic bag got stuck

  • Published
Muntjac deer on the roadImage source, Newark and Sherwood District Council
Image caption,

The muntjac deer was found with a broken neck and may have been pregnant

A deer with its head caught in a plastic bag wandered into a road and was hit and killed by a vehicle.

Newark and Sherwood District Council, which was called to the scene in Bowbridge Road, said the death highlighted the dangers of discarded plastics.

Council workers said the muntjac deer had a broken neck and may have been pregnant.

Council leader David Lloyd said: "This was a totally avoidable tragedy."

He said it demonstrated the "ultimate consequences of somebody just dumping a cheap carrier bag".

The animal was found on November 7 with the bag still covering its head.

Mr Lloyd added: "It appears that this poor creature inadvertently got its head stuck in the carrier bag and was unable to break free.

"Its vision would have been severely impaired and regrettably it may have strayed into the road. Quite simply had that bag not been dumped then the deer would almost certainly still be alive."

You may also be interested in:

Follow BBC East Midlands on Facebook, external, Twitter, external, or Instagram, external. Send your story ideas to eastmidsnews@bbc.co.uk, external.