“Not only did they require assistance from (emergency services) and police to rescue them, they also both received a ticket.”
In a statement, police said the men had called for help after getting lost in bushland near a remote beach in Royal National Park, a 15,000-hectare (37,000-acre) coastal stretch just south of Sydney that is home to at least one nudist beach.
Emergency crews supported by a police rescue helicopter found a naked 30-year-old man carrying a backpack on a walking track and a 49-year-old who was partially clothed, police added.
The government did not comment on Fuller's Monday disclosure, but some lawmakers joined in a Twitter frenzy that sent the word “deer” trending.
“A good reminder. A Covid health breach results in very deer fines,” New South Wales opposition leader Chris Minns said in a post.
Deer are not native to Australia but about 2,000 of the southeast Asian Rusa breed live in the park since the animals were introduced a century ago, said volunteer group Friends of the Royal National Park.