Motorists are being warned to watch out for a large stag spotted in areas the animals are “never seen”.
Liz Miller saw the majestic creature on Shottendane Road in Garlinge, near Margate, at about 11.30am yesterday.
The deer was also sighted in Birchington in the early hours of this morning, with some people saying they have come close to striking it with their cars.
Herds of the animals are uncommon in the district, with Ms Miller never seeing one in the wild in her 36 years of living there.
The 48-year-old told KentOnline: “I was driving down Shottendane Road, which is a building site now, and I saw him and double-glanced.
“I thought ‘Am I seeing things?’. I pulled over and he was really looking confused and distressed.
“He was going up to each section of the railings around the work site.
“Then when he realised I was watching, he darted in the opposite direction.”
Ms Miller called police and the RSPCA as she was concerned the stag would be hit by a car on the busy stretch, and that he might have escaped a wildlife sanctuary.
Neither organisation could help, so she went back out with a wildlife expert to try and find him.
“He bolted out in front of me from a hedge,” she recalled.
“I couldn’t believe it. He was much bigger than I first thought.
“I was concerned about his antlers because they are huge.”
The stag then disappeared once more.
Niamh Gerrard was driving near Quex Park in Birchington at just before 7am when the animal ran out in front of her.
She said: “I slammed my brakes on and pulled to the side of the road to get a picture as I wanted to warn other drivers to just take care on the road.
“It would not only injure the animal if he was hit, but with the size of him, there’s a high chance of the driver or passengers getting injured also.
“It was a big shock. I’ve lived in Thanet my whole life and have never seen one just wandering around the fields and road.”
It is thought that the deer, believed to be a fallow, is in the area due to rutting season, when males head out and cover large distances looking for a mate.
But Ms Miller is convinced the animal has escaped from captivity.
She explained: “I know it’s rutting season and I know they travel miles, but where we are it’s just not a location where we ever, ever see them – not even rarely.
“He just didn’t look at home. It wasn’t like it was his natural environment, because he looked distressed. He just didn’t look like he was a wild one.”
She is now warning motorists to look out for the stag, saying: “When you’re near the fields, just ease up and go extra slow.
“Obviously we wouldn’t want him or anybody else to get injured.
“Do not approach him at all because he’s going to be charged up at the moment if he is wild and looking for a female. You can only try to warn people.”
There are wild populations of deer across England, including in places such as Hoath and Blean.
Wildwood in Herne Bay has two captive herds.
During the autumnal breeding season, known as the ‘rut’, males make a loud belly belch to claim their territory and fight over the females.
They were introduced to the UK by the Normans in the 11th century.
Originally they were kept in deer parks for entertainment purposes, however, once the popularity of the species wained, interest also declined and there were several escapees.
Although not technically native, they are regarded as naturalised in the UK and are now widespread.
