17 Dec 2010

Oh deer! Reindeer escapes from Sunderland park

A reindeer called Gnu is recovering in Lapland after escaping from its pen in a Sunderland park and heading off into town.

Gnu the reindeer on the loose in Sunderland after escaping from Mowbray Park

The animal was one of several which are part of a Christmas feature in the city’s Mowbray Park called Lapland Village.

Sunderland City Council, which operates the park, said Gnu escaped after taking fright. Chris Alexander, Head of Culture and Tourism at the authority said: “It appears that a dog, which was not on a lead, ran into the enclosure and startled one of the reindeer, which caused it to panic and jump the fence.”

Gnu then took off on a tour of Sunderland before being recaptured 20 minutes later by park staff. Video footage shows the frightened animal galloping at speed down streets in the centre of the city. Witness Andrea Harrop, who appropriately enough was at a Christmas party at the time, said: “I was outside having a cigarette and I saw the police pull up. I saw the back of (the animal) and I thought ‘that’s a big dog’ – but then it came running towards me.”

“It was only a baby, it was tawny coloured and its antlers looked soft. It ran past the casino and there were a few people running around trying to catch it.”

Enclosure

Reindeer are reported to have jumped fences of 2m from a standing start and smaller ones can also reportedly clear railings of just over a metre in height.

The council said it has now changed the structure of the reindeer pen in Mowbray Park so that dogs can no longer run into it. It said that a higher fence has also now replaced the former 1.5m barrier.

In response to the incident, Northumbria Police has reminded dog owners to keep their animals under control.

Reindeer rest and recuperation

A spokesman from Sunderland City Council told Channel 4 News that although Gnu was fine when it was returned to the rest of the herd, it has been sent home to Lapland (the real one, not the Mowbray Park version,) to recover from its ordeal.

When asked if Gnu would be returned to Lapland Village the spokesman said that in the light of the fact that the reindeer was going to be busy next Friday, it was unlikely.