Of all the unusual things you might expect to encounter at sea — a mermaid, a ghost ship, Johnny Depp — a deer is probably not one of them.
Russian fisherman Dmitry Konevsky was therefore in for a surprise when he came across a sika deer swimming in the Amur Bay toward the far eastern city of Vladivostok, the PrimaMedia regional news agency reported Monday.
A video uploaded to YouTube on Saturday captures the moment Konevsky's boat approached the deer, which had most likely swum from the Peschany peninsula, located about 12 kilometers across the bay from Vladivostok, the fisherman told PrimaMedia.
Sika deers, a type of spotted deer native to eastern Asia, are renowned for their swimming ability, but do not normally travel such long distances by water.
After spotting the deer, Konevsky told PrimaMedia that he had contacted the local emergency services and that they told him they were already aware of the situation. The fishermen were afraid to try and bring the animal onboard themselves, he added.
However, the story might not have such a happy ending, after a spokesperson for the regional branch of the Emergency Services Ministry told PrimaMedia that his agency had not received any such phone call.
“It seems most likely that the fishermen either did not contact the ministry, or rang the wrong number. For now we don't know where the animal is located or what happened to it,” he said.
Watch the video:
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
Remind me later.
