A group of spotted deer which escaped from someone’s garden into a nature reserve in 2018 is once again being hunted, reports the Noordhollands Dagblad.

The deer, originally a group of five kept as pets, managed to escape and wandered a kilometre to the Noordhollands Duinresrevaat. Since then, there have been various sightings, including of two dead animals and at least one calf.

However, the exotic animals which originally come from East Asia are considered unwelcome in the wild here because they can breed with local deer as well as damaging local bulbs and gardens.

PWN, the organisation that manages the reserve, has tried several times to catch the deer and according to media reports has so far this year once again been unsuccessful. According to the Noordhollands Dagblad: ‘They are very happy where they are.’