Mother who tried in vain to save her husband from their killer pet deer fights for her life in hospital after being horrifically mauled in the chest
- Man dead and wife seriously injured after pet deer attack in northeast Victoria
- Paul McDonald was feeding his deer before it lunged at him at Moyhu property
- His wife Mandi rushed to his aid, but was attacked and son dragged her away
- Mr McDonald died on scene and his wife taken to hospital in a serious condition
A mother who was savagely mauled by her pet deer after it killed her husband is still fighting for her life in hospital.
Mandi McDonald, 45, desperately tried to save her husband Paul as it gored him to death on Wednesday morning at their farm in Moyhu, northeast Victoria.
The aggressive deer then attacked her before her son dragged her away, saving her life.
Mrs McDonald was rushed to hospital in serious condition and was still fighting for her life on Thursday morning.
Paul McDonald and his wife, Mandi, (above) were attacked by the pet deer at their property in northeast Victoria
Their son managed to drag his mother to safety. Pictured: A deer at the couple’s property – it is unclear if this is the animal that attacked the couple
Mr McDonald, 47, was feeding the deer in its enclosure when the animal lunged at him.
Police arrived and shot the animal dead.
‘The deer was shot several times for the safety of the male and the female,’ Acting Senior Sergeant Paul Purcell said.
Paramedics were called to the property at about 8.30am but could not save Mr McDonald, who died at the scene. His wife was treated for upper body and leg injuries.
Ambulance Victoria said Mrs McDonald was flown to the Alfred Hospital in Melbourne in a serious condition where she is fighting for her life.
The couple had owned the Waipiti deer – a cross between a red deer and an elk – for about two years.
‘I know the family are very traumatised about what has happened,’ sergeant Purcell said.
The couple’s son and daughter are staying with family in Melbourne in the meantime.
Mr McDonald tragically died at the scene while Mandi was treated for upper body and leg injuries
Mr McDonald, 47, was feeding the deer before the animal attacked him, according to his brother
Australian Deer Association’s Barry Howlett warned that male deers grew aggressive and territorial during mating season, which was around this time of year.
‘They are a wild animal and a wild animal that loses its fear of humans is a really dangerous thing,’ he told Herald Sun.
‘It might be quite docile for most of the year but when mating season is on, you don’t go near them.’
As many as a million wild deer are thought to be living in Victoria, according to a 2017 state government report.
Their numbers increased following the 2008 Black Saturday bushfires and calls have been made to cull the growing population.
Victoria’s National Park Association said in 2018 that the animals were destructive to the natural landscape.
Paramedics were called to the property at about 8.30am but could not save Mr McDonald, who died at the scene. His wife was treated for upper body and leg injuries (pictured, graphic location of Moyhu in northeast Victoria)
Pictured: The couple’s farm in northeast Victoria