A rescued deer that lives in an animal sanctuary owner’s bungalow has made itself so much at home – it now think it’s a DOG .
Geoff Grewcock, 66, says he might start regretting deciding to share his house with 10-year-old Bramble – because he has learned how to open the fridge to steal food.
The cute deer also curls up on the sofa to watch TV, eats from a dog bowl and can be often caught lapping up water from the toilet.
He also regularly sneaks in Geoff’s bedroom for a nap on his bed and pinches fruit from the living room whenever he isn’t looking.
Today (Thurs) Geoff, who runs Nuneaton and Warwickshire Wildlife Sanctuary, said Bramble is now firmly part of the family.
He added: “Bramble really is brilliant now, he’s just convinced he’s a dog.
“Whenever it’s meal time we call him over with the other dogs, and he’ll out of the bowl like them.
“But you have to be careful when you’re eating dinner, otherwise he’ll take your veggies off your plate when you’re not looking.
“I once went outside to start loading the van and thought he was in his pen, but I turned around and he wasn’t there.
“I thought I had lost him, but I went inside went up to my bedroom and he had sneaked in to my room, got in to my bed and fell asleep.
“He also seems to not get out of the bathroom and laps up water from the bowl like a dog.
“I can’t go in there without shutting him in with me if he has got there first because he just won’t get out. You have to use the loo with him there.”
A few weeks ago Geoff was left scratching his head when he found food missing from his fridge.
But he soon managed to catch Bramble in the act helping himself to everything that was inside having nudged it open with his nose.
But being a vegetarian, Bramble doesn’t like meat and simply spat it out on the floor for the dogs to eat.
Geoff added: “I found him raiding the kitchen cupboards and fridges for food, so we have to keep a close eye on him now.
“Most of the other animals are alright with him, but Leo the parrot doesn’t like him causing trouble in his shed.
“He lives at the other end of the garden, but if Bramble goes in and tries to steal his food we can hear him from the house shouting ‘F**k off, Bramble.’
“I think one of the volunteers must have said it quietly once and Leo’s just picked it up.
“Bramble’s real problem is although he hasn’t got antlers, he still thinks he does so tries to scratch them and knocks everything over inside.”
Geoff first got Bramble after dog walkers discovered him in the woods nearby in 2005 covered in scratches at two weeks old.
He slipped into a coma, and after fighting back Geoff tried to release him into the wild but was told he would be shot within three years if he did.
Geoff said: “He was in such a state when he was found. He was nowhere near any roads, so either another animal got him or something fell on him.
“He only had cuts and scratches, but we worried he might have a brain injury.
“After he recovered we went to several deer parks to try and release him, but because there are so many stags in this area we were told he would be culled within three years.
“I couldn’t face that so he moved in with us – quite literally.
“I could never let him go now. He is just part of the family.”
