Orphaned deer fawn finds new family at Muncaster Castle

Late last Monday night, Peter and Iona Pennington were awakened by a knock on the door from a stranger, pleading for help after her car had hit a deer near Muncaster Castle.

Peter, an experienced veterinarian, tried in vain to save the life of the deer, which he discovered was pregnant.

He performed an emergency Caesarean, and delivered Twiggy, the Roe Deer fawn, into the world.

Speaking on Muncaster Castle's website, Peter said:

Iona and Peter have been told that the chances of successfully rearing an orphaned deer are quite low, but that hasn't stopped them from trying.

The last week of Twiggy's life have been spent going for walks in the surrounding grounds (Deer can walk from birth), and sharing the warmth of the couple's kitchen with their three dogs and their cat.

The Penningtons have compared caring for the deer with raising their own three children, with Peter saying "we thought we finished with the middle of the night feeding regimes 20 or more years ago!".

You can keep up to date with Twiggy's progress here.