'Aggressive and unpredictable': Warning issued as wild animal takes up residence in Limerick village

IT'S NOT just town and city dwellers who want to escape the hustle and bustle by setting up home in the peaceful, and less “deer”, County Limerick countryside.

A Sika stag has taken up residence in the picturesque village of Loughill on the banks of the Shannon Estuary, according to the Irish Deer Society.

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A post on their Facebook page said the three to four-year-old stag has chosen the river walk to set up home. 

“We have been asked to make the public aware of him, particularly, this time of year during the seasonal rut as he may become aggressive and unpredictable,” reads the post.

The Irish Deer Society asked walkers to “please keep all dogs on the leash and do not attempt to approach to feed or take photographs”.

The Irish Deer Society is devoted to “improving the welfare of wild deer in Ireland through conservation and knowledge of all our species and expertise of our members”.

Sika deer most probably originated from the Japanese Islands in north eastern Asia but this stag seems quite at home in west Limerick.