Yonhap
Yonhap

A deer that escaped from the Korea Military Academy in northern Seoul returned to the campus about an hour later, news reports said Sunday.

According to the academy and authorities, the deer slipped out through a gap in a vehicle barricade at around 1:18 p.m. on Thursday. A sentinel at the front gate and a security guard monitoring surveillance cameras spotted the animal, but were unable to stop it because of its speed, school officials said.

Fire authorities dispatched two vehicles and 10 personnel after receiving reports that a deer was roaming around nearby streets. Firefighters later found the deer near a drainage ditch. The deer roamed around the front gate and in a parking lot at a nearby park.

Firefighters did not use anesthetics or muscle relaxants, instead corralling the animal by forming a perimeter. About one hour and 10 minutes after its escape, the deer was guided back onto the campus at around 2:28 p.m.

While deer are generally docile, they can become aggressive when stressed by changes in their environment, officials said. No injuries or property damage were reported.

Deer have lived on the Korea Military Academy campus for about 30 years. Eight deer currently reside in a designated park on the grounds. Until last year, they were kept within fenced areas, but this year they have been allowed to roam freely across the academy’s 1.5 million-square-meter campus.


shinjh@heraldcorp.com