Ill never forget that morning by the Thames, just outside London. I was out for a walk when I noticed something odd bobbing in the watera deer, swimming frantically, with an old paint tin wedged firmly over her head. With the strong current, I could see that she was struggling, and the chance of her making it ashore seemed rather slim.
Thats when I realised I needed to act. I spotted a local wildlife rescuer, Mr. Oliver, coming up the footpath, and together we quickly came up with a plan. Mr. Oliver managed to soothe the deer enough to sedate her, then carefully loaded her onto his Land Rover. He took her straight to the nearest vet in Richmond, where she was treated with antibiotics and pain relief before being released back into the wild.
But I couldnt walk away eitherI decided to swim out into the river myself, and try to lend a hand. It wasnt easy, and the water was cold, but I kept telling myself not to give in, no matter how tired I became. When I finally guided the deer to land, she was too spent to stand, so I ended up carrying her all the way up to my garden in Barnes. Mum was waiting at the gate when I came trudging home, shivering and exhausted but thankfully unharmed, and she nearly cried with reliefespecially once she spotted the deer.
My quick thinking must have made a difference; the deer perked up after a short rest, and I walked her to a nearby field so she could recover properly. Hoping to calm her, I even softly sang The Sound of Silence by Simon & Garfunkel, which amazingly seemed to relax her. She stopped panicking and gradually let me guide her away from the rivers edge.
Once we were safely on dry land, Mr. Oliver found a gentle leash and helped usher her back into the woods, away from any more danger. Looking back, Im so relieved the deer made it through, and hopeful she wont find herself in such a predicament again. Moments like these remind me how small acts of kindness can make a world of difference.
