Officers from Ivybridge and Rural Police made a poignant discovery in the village of Wotter, north of Dartmoor Zoo, this morning, Sunday, April 23, when they responded to a reported case of possible deer poaching. Upon arrival, instead of evidence of illegal hunting, they found two deer had been killed after being struck by a speeding vehicle.
The two deer were located on and near a stretch of road, with one lying on a grassy bank just off the tarmac. Close inspection confirmed the cause of death for both was a vehicle collision rather than poaching. Notably, the site of the incident is just a short distance from a sign warning drivers of livestock in the area.
In a statement, Ivybridge and Rural Police urged motorists to reduce their speed in that vicinity, highlighting that slowing down by as little as five to ten miles per hour could help prevent such fatal accidents. They said: "If people would just take five or ten miles an hour off in that area these collisions could be avoided. Cruel irony the deer is within 50 yards of a 'LIVESTOCK' warning sign."
The police's Facebook post about the incident saw a range of responses from the community. One commenter expressed sympathy, stating, "It's heartbreaking... it's horrible when this happens. I always drop my speed going over the moors, better to slow down." Meanwhile, another individual shared their own experience, saying, "I've hit a deer at 30 miles an hour on this road. They run out and it's unavoidable. Twice in eight days this happened. They did both get up and run off seemingly uninjured but the collisions were unavoidable."
The incident sheds light on the challenges motorists face when driving in rural areas where wildlife is present, especially along roads where the risk to animals is clearly signposted. The police continue to monitor the situation in the Wotter area.
Source: Noah Wire Services