Stag rescued after cliff plunge The British are proud of being a nation of animal lovers. Only here would a major rescue operation be mounted to save a wild animal. But as a deer was finally pulled to safety after a 5 hour ordeal, everyone involved agreed it had been worth it.

The stag fell 60m down a cliff at Port Isaac, in Cornwall. Fortunately for him, he missed rocks at the bottom and fell into the sea. Terrified and disorientated, the animal swam half a mile out to sea before the Port Isaac inshore lifeboat reached him and shepherded him back to land.

Unfortunately he panicked and managed to swim to a cove that was only accessible from the sea or down the cliff. Cliff rescue teams lowered a vet with tranquillisers down the cliff and, with the help of the lifeboat crew, the deer was placed in a cradle and carefully lifted up the cliff to safety..