A runaway reindeer named Buddy triggered a large-scale search operation in northern England on Sunday after escaping from a Christmas attraction in Formby, near Liverpool.
Merseyside Police said Buddy was seen wandering on nearby roads, prompting concerns for public safety and leading to a coordinated response involving police officers, the coastguard, Royal Marines, and local lifeboat crews.
After five hours on the loose, Buddy was eventually found asleep in sand dunes at Formby beach. He was located with the aid of a police drone and thermal binoculars provided by the lifeboat team, before being secured by a vet with support from Royal Marines and returned to his owner.
Chief Inspector Jacqueline Overy praised the joint effort, saying: “It’s not every day we’re called upon to track a reindeer, but thanks to the co-ordinated efforts of a number of specialist agencies we were able to monitor his movements and locate him in the dunes even as darkness fell. The reindeer had posed a genuine risk both to its own safety and the public by entering roads, and it was vital that he was secured.”