O deer! Surreal moment when two 100 kg bucks trot down the corridor of the hospital after walking through an open door
- The two fallow bucks were caught on camera strolling around Derriford Hospital
- They explored the fifth floor before staff encouraged the pair to leave
Two deer were caught jumping through an empty hospital hallway after entering through an open door.
The pair of fallow deer — believed to weigh 15e 10 pounds (100 kg) each — were filmed wandering through Plymouth’s Derriford Hospital.
Footage of the deer casually trotting side by side went viral on social media.
Voices in the background of the ten second clip could be heard laughing, with someone asking, “Are they going?”
Both deer left the building after about three minutes. The staff ‘gently’ encouraged them to leave.
The pair of fallow deer – believed to weigh 15e 10 pounds (100 kg) each – were filmed wandering Derriford Hospital, Plymouth
Neither came into contact with patients during their Monday morning visit, the hospital confirmed.
A spokesperson for the site said the deer entered the hospital through the back door on the fifth floor.
This part of the hospital houses the neonatal intensive care unit, a ward that provides 24-hour care to sick or premature babies.
Cleaning teams were called to clean the hallway after the deer were led out.
The incident prompted hospital bosses to issue a plea for staff and visitors to close all doors behind them.
A spokesman for the University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust said: ‘Those who live near Derriford will know that deer are no strangers to the surrounding areas.
“The deer came in through a door left open.
Footage of the deer casually trotting side by side went viral on social media. Voices could be heard laughing in the background of the ten-second clip, one asking, “Are they going?”
And we would remind staff and visitors to please close doors behind them and not feed the deer as they are wild animals and should not be encouraged in a busy hospital environment.
“We will guard that entrance and increase our security patrols at night to make sure the deer don’t try to visit it again.”
Twitter users were not surprised by the unusual visit. Samantha Robinson said during hospital appointments that she has seen deer running around the property and parking lots.
A local deer expert said the incident could have been “dangerous.”
Paul James, who runs the Plymouth Deer social media account, said: ‘Fallow deer should run wild and run away from human activities.
“If you have a 100kg male buck in a hospital ward you have a safety issue, especially if they are in heat, which will be in a few weeks.
“They’re dangerous.”
Fallow deer like the pair that roam Derriford Hospital can be four feet tall when mature, but with their antlers, males can grow up to six feet tall.