WATCH: Stag steals nut-filled bird-feeder using its GIANT antlers
A WILY old stag has been filmed stealing a nut-filled bird-feeder - by using its giant antlers to knock it from a tree.
Cheeky stag uses antlers to steal nut-filled bird feeder
And in the dead of night it crept back and used the tip of its huge antlers to dislodge the feeder and send it crashing to the ground where it tucked into the nuts.
Footage of the deer in action was captured by wildlife photographer Dr Jochen Langbein who said it was the first time he had seen such behaviour in 30 years.
He said: "I think it is extremely unusual. I have worked on deer for the past 30 years and I have never known them to use their antlers so deliberately.
A stag was caught on camera using his antlers to steal a nut-filled bird-feeder
"It is almost like a tool. Most of the time they are just pushing and fighting with other stags.
"He uses the tips of the antlers towards the end of the video. It shows their capacity to learn.
"It is a surprising ability to learn which is more than is usually associated with deer."
The male red deer spotted the treat in a garden on the edge of Exmoor National Park in Devon
The animal used its huge antlers to dislodge the feeder and send it crashing to the ground
He added: "People have seen it in squirrels and racoon, but deer are not usually known for their intelligence.
He uses the tips of the antlers towards the end of the video. It shows their capacity to learn
"I have been researching deer for the last 30 years as a consultant. They are the biggest land mammals in the country - they are intriguing."
Dr Langbein, 58, said the habits of deer were changing, and they were leaving remote areas for towns and more populated areas.
"I have seen a herd of deer in a housing estate, they are trying to get away from disturbances such as shooting and hunting," he said.
The footage of the deer in action was captured by wildlife photographer Dr Jochen Langbein
"In a garden they often do not get disturbed."
He said the deer in the video - thought to be around 15 years old - had become a familiar sight to homeowners in the area.
He said: "People had become quite fond of him. There were a few gardens that saw him regularly.
"At the moment gardens are full of primroses and daffodils, which deer don't eat."