Deer gets lost, wanders into Italian bakery
A deer walks into a bakery... It might sound like the start of a bad joke, but it happened in Italy on Thursday morning and here's the video to prove it.
The young fawn was filmed standing behind the counter of a bread shop in Ortona, a small town in the central Abruzzo region.
The clip, shared by local animal welfare officer Antonella Di Mascio, shows the animal looking a little bewildered among the fresh loaves.
The deer is thought to have wandered out of nearby woodland and got lost.
After one of the bakery staff alerted the authorities, it was checked by a vet who said the deer was in good health – just a little frightened by finding itself surrounded by so many people, after a small crowd formed to see it.
The deer has since been safely returned to the wild by forest rangers.
Urban encounters with wildlife are increasingly frequent, according to Italy's nature authorities, who say it's common at this time of year to spot fawns who appear to be on their own. If you see one it's best to keep your distance, in case the mother is nearby and might be scared off by seeing humans approach her fawn; call a vet or the forest rangers instead.
Not that people in Abruzzo need advice on living in close proximity with wild animals. In the nearby mountain town of Civitella Messer Raimondo, locals say they have made "friends" with a lone wolf who roams their streets at night, eating the occasional unlucky cat.
The rugged region is also home to bears, boar, foxes and other wild creatures who don't always stay within the bounds of its extensive national parks.
READ ALSO: A herd of 'rebel cows' has been living wild in the Italian mountains for years
Photo: antb/Depositphotos
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The young fawn was filmed standing behind the counter of a bread shop in Ortona, a small town in the central Abruzzo region.
The clip, shared by local animal welfare officer Antonella Di Mascio, shows the animal looking a little bewildered among the fresh loaves.
The deer is thought to have wandered out of nearby woodland and got lost.
After one of the bakery staff alerted the authorities, it was checked by a vet who said the deer was in good health – just a little frightened by finding itself surrounded by so many people, after a small crowd formed to see it.
The deer has since been safely returned to the wild by forest rangers.
Urban encounters with wildlife are increasingly frequent, according to Italy's nature authorities, who say it's common at this time of year to spot fawns who appear to be on their own. If you see one it's best to keep your distance, in case the mother is nearby and might be scared off by seeing humans approach her fawn; call a vet or the forest rangers instead.
Not that people in Abruzzo need advice on living in close proximity with wild animals. In the nearby mountain town of Civitella Messer Raimondo, locals say they have made "friends" with a lone wolf who roams their streets at night, eating the occasional unlucky cat.
The rugged region is also home to bears, boar, foxes and other wild creatures who don't always stay within the bounds of its extensive national parks.
READ ALSO: A herd of 'rebel cows' has been living wild in the Italian mountains for years
Photo: antb/Depositphotos
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