One of the more unusual break-ins in recent memory has Norfolk County OPP investigating the theft of a dozen deer antlers.

The antlers were taken over the weekend from a shelter at the Waterford Deer Park.

They came from a group of 21 English fallow deer, whose ancestors were first introduced to the park in 1942 to limit vegetation in the area.

OPP say one or more people entered an unlocked shelter and removed the antlers, damaging a door on their way out.

Although the door was left open, no animals escaped.

John Chychul is part of the committee that runs the deer park.

He says there was no need for anybody to break in and steal the antlers, which grow off the deer each year and are often used for carving and painting purposes.

“If they would have asked, we likely would have given them to them,” he said.

To get in, the thieves had to jump over a fence and travel past a sign warning of the potential for dear bites.

Harold Sonnenberg, a county councillor and another member of the park committee, says the bites aren’t even the greatest danger the animals could pose to humans.

“They could do you great bodily harm, if not kill you. They have sharp horns and they’re very strong,” he said.

Damaged in the break-in were the door and lock on the shelter, but it was able to be put back in place without any modifications.

Those who know the deer say the antlers can be recognized by their distinctive shape, as English fallow deer are not native to Canada.

“They’re a different kind of antler than you would see on a Canadian deer. They have a lot of flat surfaces,” said Sonnenberg.

The antlers are said to be about the size of antlers from a small moose.