Stunned Melburnians have expressed their shock after a rogue deer was spotted bolting through the empty streets of inner-city suburbs amid lockdown.
Video and photos shared on social media showed the animal running through traffic, with locals reporting to have seen the animal on Friday afternoon and Saturday morning in the northern suburbs of Clifton Hill, Fitzroy and Northcote.
Some locals joked the deer was permitted to be outside so long as it followed the city’s 10km travel restriction.
Wildlife Victoria confirmed the deer had been euthanised this morning after suffering a head injury and severe wear to its hooves.
“About six police cars and multiple vets had it surrounded near the train line but it escaped,” a wildlife rescuer who attended the scene told The Age.
“It was contained in an alley a few hundred metres away [and] the vets tranquilised the deer.”
How the deer ended up in Melbourne’s inner-north is unknown.
Resident Rosie Burke, who had just finished running with her boyfriend, said the deer ran past her about 10.30am on Johnston Street as she stretched on a bench.
“We saw this deer running towards us,” she told The Age.
“Some people are saying it was a cow, but it was definitely a deer with full-on antlers.
“It was absolutely bizarre and shocking, and sad – he looked really scared. Luckily the road was quiet.”