Wayward Deer Infant 'Adopted' by Flock of Sheep

Adopted deer among a U.K. sheep flock along the country's eastern Suffolk coast.

A red deer has been “adopted” by a flock of sheep off the United Kingdom’s Suffolk coast.

The young buck apparently joined the woolly grazers after his herd passed by in early December. The deer has been living among the sheep ever since.

"I've been involved with sheep all my life, but I've never seen deer interact with them,” said shepherd Andrew Capell. “They seem to have accepted him as one of their own.”

The National Trust, a U.K. based charity that specializes in protecting everything from historical sites to endangered species, is watching over the buck and hopes he will rejoin his herd if it ever roams by again.

For now, the deer seems to be living well among his new family, eating, playing and sleeping with the sheep.

“He seems to be happy living with the sheep and has made a few friends, but he comes and goes and hops over the fence to visit them when he likes,” said Capell.

Photo: National Trust