Why is feeding deer in the Royal Parks dangerous?
The Stag That Attacked a Picnic Group — and Why London's Deer Must Never Be Fed
Ninoda.com – A man in his 60s sustained chest injuries on Saturday after a stag lunged at his picnic party in Richmond Park. The animal was later put down by a Royal Parks wildlife officer, who judged it a continuing threat to park-goers. The incident has reignited a long-standing warning: feeding the wild deer roaming south-west London's Richmond and Bushy parks is not merely discouraged — it is against the law.
A Behavioural Problem Born of Kindness
Paul Richards, park manager at Richmond Park, told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that the stag's aggressive approach was almost certainly the direct consequence of visitors having fed it on previous occasions.
"It is only because people had fed this particular animal that its behaviour had changed."
Richards explained that once deer begin linking human presence with a food reward, they grow bolder, drifting closer to groups and individuals. That shift in behaviour, he stressed, places visitors at genuine risk of serious injury. Feeding also raises the chance that animals swallow plastic fragments, which can block their digestive tracts and lead to malnutrition.
Wild, Not Pet-Farm Animals
The red and fallow deer in both parks are fully wild creatures. They have roamed these grounds since Charles I introduced the first herd in 1637, and the current population stands at roughly 630 animals. Unlike the famously docile deer of Nara, Japan — where locals routinely hand-feed them — London's deer should never be approached, touched, or offered food.
Richards was visibly disturbed by video footage from last month showing families with small children attempting to stroke deer in Richmond Park.
"Shocked and extremely concerned" was how his team described their reaction, and he labelled the behaviour "deeply irresponsible and highly dangerous."
He cautioned that closing in on the animals triggers stress responses and risks what he called a "fatal incident."
"Richmond Park's red and fallow deer are wild, powerful animals. Although they may appear calm, they can react suddenly and aggressively if they feel threatened. Stags can weigh more than 25 stone (159kg) and run at speeds of up to 30mph (48km/h), making them highly dangerous if visitors get too close."
What the Deer Actually Eat
The animals subsist on grasses, leaves, tree shoots, acorns, sweet chestnuts, and horse chestnuts. Richards dismissed the notion that supplemental feeding is needed, even in dry spells.
"They don't need to be fed. A lot of people are thinking: 'It's bone dry out there, everything is brown', but the deer don't need supplementary feeding here at Richmond Park."
He noted that bramble grazing is already underway, early autumn is setting in, and sweet chestnuts will soon begin dropping from the canopy — more than enough to sustain the herd through winter.
Visitors are specifically asked not to collect conkers (horse chestnuts) from the ground, since those nuts form a critical component of the deer's diet and help the animals build fat reserves before the cold months.
Staying Safe and Photographing Responsibly
The Royal Parks' standing guidance, reiterated for decades, is straightforward: keep at least 50 metres (165 feet) from any deer, never feed or touch them, and if an animal moves toward you, conceal all food and packaging, then retreat slowly and calmly.
For those who wish to capture images of the herd against the backdrop of city life, Richards urged the use of a zoom lens on a phone or camera rather than closing the distance.
"If you want to photograph them, photograph them using the zoom function on your phone or camera."
The message, he concluded, is simple:
"Enjoy the deer, respect the deer, keep a safe distance from the deer. Don't feed them, they don't need feeding. Some people think they're doing a good deed. In fact you're not, you're doing quite the opposite."
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