Royal Parks has confirmed that a stag involved in an attack on a picnic group in Richmond Park over the weekend has been put down, as its behaviour was deemed 'a danger to the public'. The park authority has issued its third warning this summer, urging visitors to stop feeding or approaching deer after further videos emerged of people doing so in Bushy Park.
Incident and Response
The roaming animal approached a picnic group in Richmond Park after 'learning to associate visitors with food', according to Royal Parks. While the parkgoer's injuries are not life-threatening, the stag was euthanised due to the risk it posed. In a stern statement, Royal Parks said: "We are shocked and alarmed to see that more videos and photographs are circulating online of park visitors feeding and approaching deer in Bushy Park, just days after we warned of the dangers of getting too close to the deer, and after a man in Richmond Park was injured by a stag this weekend."
"This is highly dangerous behaviour. 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. Getting this close, and offering food, puts people at real risk of serious injury."
Previous Warnings and Incidents
This is the third time this summer that Royal Parks has had to remind the public about deer safety. Earlier, staff issued a warning when adults and children were caught stroking deer in Richmond Park. Park visitors were also previously told to call the police if they saw anyone interfering with the deer after a video showed a group feeding them in Bushy Park. A further video shows a man trying to move a stag away from his picnic with a large tree branch.
Royal Parks advises people to stay at least 50 metres away from deer at all times. If a deer approaches, visitors should put all food and packaging away and move away slowly and calmly. The renewed warning continues: "Between them, Richmond Park and Bushy Park cover 3,600 acres. Our staff and volunteers do a great job of speaking to visitors, and we have signage across the parks, but we cannot be everywhere at once. We need everyone who visits to take responsibility for their own behaviour and to keep themselves, other visitors and the deer safe."
Call for Reinstatement of Royal Parks Police
The worrying clips have led some viewers to call for the dedicated Royal Parks police to be reinstated. The Metropolitan Police announced in 2025 that it was disbanding the unit as part of cuts due to a £260m hole in its budget. At the time, Richmond Council Leader Gareth Roberts expressed disappointment, saying the parks need officers with specialist training and experience. Without the Royal Parks police, responsibility for the vast open spaces will fall to overstretched local officers already managing high demand elsewhere.
