Korea Military Academy 'Deer Cadet' Returns to Campus After One-Hour Escape Incident

Escaped Through Main Gate Barricade on an Unexpected Adventure
Returned After 70 Minutes, Guided Back Without Tranquilizers

A deer caused a commotion by escaping from the campus of the Korea Military Academy in Nowon-gu, Seoul. Fortunately, there were no injuries or property damage.

According to the Korea Military Academy and fire authorities on December 14, at around 1:18 p.m. on December 11, a deer in the campus's "Deer Park" slipped through the vehicle control barricades at the academy's second main gate. Although the gate security personnel and CCTV monitoring staff witnessed the escape, the deer ran off so quickly that they were unable to stop it.

A family of deer living in the Korea Military Academy in Nowon-gu, Seoul. Korea Military Academy

Upon receiving a report that the deer had entered the road, the fire department dispatched two vehicles and ten personnel to capture it. The deer was found moving between the campus main gate and the nearby Railroad Park parking lot before being located in a nearby ditch. Without using tranquilizers or sedatives, firefighters guided the deer back into the school grounds using a corral method. The deer returned to the campus at approximately 2:28 p.m., about one hour and ten minutes later.

A Korea Military Academy official stated, "Deer are generally gentle, but they can become aggressive in response to environmental changes or stressful situations. Fortunately, there were no injuries as a result of this escape."

The academy has a history of raising deer for about 30 years, and currently, eight deer reside in the "Deer Park." Until last year, the deer were managed within a fenced area, but starting this year, they have been allowed to roam freely across approximately 1.5 million square meters of the campus. The academy explained, "We keep the deer on campus to protect the animals and to help foster emotional well-being among members of the school community."