Single deer pops head out near road — then a massive herd rushes past, UK video shows

Video from the United Kingdom captured the moment a massive herd of deer came charging across a rural road, bringing traffic to a standstill as a seemingly endless stream of fur and antlers zips by.

The video was taken by the Bacton Coastguard, based in Norfolk, England, according to a March 11 Facebook post.

In the video, which had been shared 22,000 times as of March 14, a single deer can be seen popping out from behind a hedge, as if checking to see if the coast is clear. The deer’s timid behavior changes and it charges ahead, revealing a huge herd following behind.

“I’ve never seen that many deer run across the road,” one person commented on the post. “That was very awesome to watch.”

“It’s a beautiful sight to see and quite rare to see a herd so large now in most parts of England,” said another.

Even a few Americans were impressed, including one who chimed in from Virginia to say, “I’ve never seen anything like this, incredible.”

The fast moving herd was across the road and out of sight in about 30 seconds, including a few stragglers in the back that some viewers couldn’t help sympathizing with.

“The poor slow last one reminded me of my performances in every school cross country run,” a comment said.

There’s an estimated 2 million deer in the U.K., according to a 2021 Guardian report. While that may seem like a small population compared to the United States — where the white-tail deer population alone is estimated to be 30 million — it’s enough that rural U.K. residents and some experts say the countryside is overrun.

Efforts are being made to cull the country’s deer population and in turn curb the destruction of habitats and farmland caused by their soaring numbers.

This story was originally published March 14, 2023 at 11:44 AM with the headline "Single deer pops head out near road — then a massive herd rushes past, UK video shows."