A stag has been shot dead after injuring a man who was having a picnic in Richmond Park, one of London's largest parks. The man, in his 60s, suffered chest injuries and was taken to hospital. Police later said his injuries were not believed to be life-threatening or life-changing.
Incident near Roehampton Gate Cafe
The incident happened near Roehampton Gate Cafe, an area popular with visitors and cyclists. The Metropolitan Police said officers were called by the London Ambulance Service at 6.23pm on Saturday following reports that a man had been injured by a deer.
The stag was later shot dead by a Royal Parks wildlife officer after it was considered a danger to other people visiting the park. Royal Parks believes the animal may have learned to associate people with food and had been looking for something to eat before the incident.
Royal Parks response
A spokeswoman said: "We understand from the police that thankfully the injuries were not life-threatening. Sadly, the stag's behaviour meant that it had to be put down as it was deemed to be a danger to visitors. We suspect that this particular stag may have learnt to associate visitors with food. If visitors follow our advice and do not feed or interfere with the deer, it is highly unlikely that they will exhibit this type of behaviour."
The incident comes after visitors were warned about getting too close to the wild deer living in Richmond and nearby Bushy Park. Last month, Royal Parks manager Paul Richards warned that feeding and petting the animals creates a "serious risk of a tragic accident resulting in life-changing injuries or, in the worst case, a fatal incident".
Safety advice for visitors
Royal Parks has also said it was "shocked and alarmed" after seeing pictures and videos of people interacting with and feeding deer in Bushy Park. A spokeswoman said: "Deer in Bushy and Richmond Parks are wild animals and should never be fed, approached or touched. Repeated feeding can cause deer to lose their natural wariness of people and seek out food from visitors, creating risks for both people and wildlife."
Visitors are advised to remain at least 50 metres away from the deer and never attempt to touch or feed them. Royal Parks says anyone approached by a deer should put food and its packaging out of sight before moving away slowly and calmly.
