A magnificent red stag which escaped from a private estate four months ago has been recaptured following several recent sightings in the Canterbury area.

The beast was tranquillised with a dart gun in a field at Butlers Court Farm in Blean yesterday afternoon.

Called Nelson, he had been roaming east Kent after getting out of a parkland enclosure in Biddenden near Tenterden - 27 miles away as the crow flies - and was thought to be searching for a mate as it is the rutting season for deer.

Sightings of the 600lb stag, which has spectacular antlers, have thrilled many countryside walkers and led to numerous pictures of him appearing on social media.

But there were also fears that in an agitated state he might charge someone, be hit by a car or be shot by trophy hunters after his magnificent antlers.

It is unclear where he has been for the past months but the sightings in the Canterbury area only began last week.

A Facebook campaign was launched on the Canterbury Residents Group by Peter Swales to keep track of Nelson and to alert his owner of sightings.

Mr Swales from Ashford, who is a vehicle technician at the Choose Leisure motorhome centre at Chartham, said: "I don't know the owner of the stag but just thought that if we could track its movements, it would help to get him back."

Nelson was spotted by firefighter Emma Cassidy and Charlotte Godley who were out riding their horses in Blean yesterday morning.

They alerted the stable owner Shelley Cousins, who runs Acorn Pet Care and Equestrian Services.

She said: "He was in a field behind the Royal Oak pub and I put it out on Facebook where it was passed on to the owner.

"I was very concerned that if he got onto the main road, there could be a horrendous accident, especially when we lost sight of him for about half and hour.

"But then he was spotted again at the farm and I remained at a safe distance so not to alarm him until the owner arrived with someone to dart and sedate him."

Nelson was loaded into a trailer and taken to a temporary home in Sussex but will be reunited with his own herd in Biddenden in a few days time.

There is another rival stag at his own park who has had the choice of females and it was thought that fur might fly if Nelson was put straight back with the herd after such a long absence.

Mum-of-two Shelley, 36, added: "While it would be great to leave such a wonderful animal to roam in the wild, the risks to his welfare are too great. It would just be a matter of time before he caused a traffic accident or became a victim of poachers."

The stag owner, who did not want to be named, said: "I want to thank everyone locally for helping recover Nelson.
"It was through updates on residents’ Facebook pages that we managed to locate him and get him darted before he could do any damage or get shot.

"There was a really lovely community spirit in helping us find him and from landowners allowing us to dart on their land. I am pleased to report he is now busying himself with the hinds he was trying so hard to find.”

Although there are numerous herds of wild fallow deer in Kent, there are no red deer, which are all on private estates.