Motorists in the South West have been warned not to sound their horns at a herd of deer which have escaped from a Devon farm.
The animals, said to have jumped a fence at a Mid-Devon property where they are bred as venison, are about to enter their mating season, making it possible stags will become aggressive.
Both stags and hinds have been spotted on roads as much as four miles away from where they escaped, and locals fear the deer may end up on the M5 motorway, the Exeter Press and Echo reported.
One driver told the paper about an encounter with an assertive hind.
"It was very large, frightened and moved extremely quickly," he said.
"Fortunately there weren't many other vehicles around and we were able to see it carefully onto some nearby farmland."
A police spokesman said: "Motorists in the area are advised to drive carefully and slowly, particularly at dawn and dusk, when deer are more active.
"They should be observant of hedgerows and field boundaries, as large deer are well camouflaged, and keep headlights at full beam after dark when it is safe to do so.
"Do not use your horn as this will only startle the animal and cause it to behave unpredictably."
