By Oliver Farrimond
AN ELDERLY deer dubbed “Bin Laden” by locals has been shot dead after turning on its adopted owner.
The ageing stag was famous for begging visitors for chocolate at The Tea Hut café in Corran, Ross-shire, and had even been featured on BBC’s The One Show.
However the 20-year-old stag became frustrated after becoming too old to rut, and also because of a wound on his side.
He then turned on adopted owner Sheena Nash, who owns The Tea Hut café, leaving the 70-year-old needing five stitches in her leg.
And after speaking with owner of the estate the stag lived on, it was decided that he be put down.
Sheena, 70, said: “I had just got home when he turned on me, he knocked me down, and as a result I needed five stitches in my leg.
“I am very sad because until recently he was a very laid-back, lovely stag.
“However he had been getting aggressive, and he could have been a danger to children or other visitors at the café.
“But it wasn’t his usual mood at all, and we’ve had him here for ten years, so I don’t hold it against him at all.”
The deer was jokily dubbed “Osama Bin Laden” after “terrorising” tourists at the Highland tearoom, and was a favourite for visiting sightseers.
He even appeared on BBC’s The One Show modeling a hat and scarf for a local designer.
Sheena’s daughter Lorraine McLeod, 47, added: “He appeared at my mum’s tearoom when he was young and she would leave food out for him.
“He kept coming back and the pair just got used to each other.
“My mum’s very sad now because she just adored him.”
