Call for action after seeing deer drowning in canal

Published: Monday, 17 June 2024

ACTION has been called for by a woman after seeing multiple deer drowning in the Bridgewater Canal.

The woman, Kay Headford, walks the towpath of the Bridgewater Canal early in the mornings and sees deer stranded in the canal alive and trying to get out, reports Janet Friend.

Seen one drown

She tells she has seen one drown but unable to do anything about it, even going into the water to attempt pull the deer out, but failed, and it drowned, she telling:

“It was just so sad, the noise and everything. It was just heartbreaking. The day after it happened again, and then the day after that another drowned."

She believes the sides are too steep for the deer to get out, and thinking what if that was a child or a cherished dog?

So now she has launched a petition for new ramps to be installed and it has already received more than 30,000 signatures. Kay has dressed up as a deer to try to raise awareness to those using the canal.

She pointed to a scheme in Doncaster, on the Sheffield & South Yorkshire Navigation where ramps were installed in 2020 after deer were drowning in the canal, with different grades of stone used on the edge to allow animals to climb out on to the bank.

Not responded

However Bridgewater Canal is not owned by Canal & River Trust but by the private company, Peel Group, that has not responded to a request for comment. Her being told the director was on holiday.

She has offered to pay from local funding as a ramp would basically be a load of rubble that could  be put into the canal in certain areas where boats can pass safely , but would act as a ramp so the deer can scramble up and get out.