A stag was put down on Saturday after it attacked a man in his 60s who was having a picnic in Richmond Park, Royal Parks has confirmed. The episode — which unfolded close to the Roehampton Gate Café — left the man with chest injuries described by emergency services as not life-threatening.
Incident, response and hospitalisation
Paramedics and an ambulance crew were called to the park just after 6pm on Saturday. The injured man was taken to hospital for treatment. A Royal Parks spokeswoman said the animal’s behaviour meant it “had to be put down as it was deemed to be a danger to visitors.”
Witnesses told reporters that the stag had come close to the group the victim was with “looking for food”. Roehampton Gate Café is a popular stopping point for cyclists and other visitors during the summer months.
“Deer in Richmond Park are wild animals and should never be fed, approached or touched.”
The spokeswoman stressed that repeated feeding can encourage deer to lose their natural wariness and to associate people with food, heightening risks for both animals and visitors.
What the park authority has said and wider warnings
Royal Parks reiterated long-standing advice to the public about keeping distance from the red and fallow deer that roam Richmond Park. The authority warned that while deer may appear calm, they are powerful wild animals capable of sudden, aggressive reactions if they feel threatened.
Last month the manager of Royal Parks, Paul Richards, publicly criticised social-media posts showing visitors encouraging children to feed or pet deer, saying such behaviour was “deeply irresponsible and highly dangerous”. He cautioned that it could lead to “life-changing injuries or, in the worst case, a fatal incident.”
Local visitors I spoke to expressed shock but also frustration. One cyclist who stopped at Roehampton Gate yesterday said: “You see people posing with the deer for photos — they look harmless, but they’re not pets. This could have been much worse.”
Practical advice for visitors
Royal Parks guidance — reiterated after the attack — urges visitors to:
- Not feed deer or attempt to touch them.
- Keep a safe distance and supervise children closely.
- Report any animals behaving unusually to park staff or the police.
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Location | Near Roehampton Gate Café, Richmond Park |
| Time | Just after 6pm on Saturday |
| Injuries | Chest injuries; not life-threatening |
| Outcome for stag | Put down by authorities |
The incident raises questions for park managers about balancing public access with wildlife welfare. Richmond Park is a protected area and a major recreational space for Londoners, but the red and fallow deer that live there are wild and can be unpredictable, particularly during the rutting season when males are more territorial.
Park officials say managing human behaviour is key. Feeding wildlife can dramatically alter animal behaviour, increasing the likelihood of dangerous encounters and forcing managers into the difficult decision to euthanise animals judged a threat to people.
As summer draws more families and cyclists to the park, local residents say clearer signage and more active enforcement of no-feeding rules could help. One nearby resident commented: “People come from town and treat the park like a zoo. If we had more visible staff or stronger penalties for feeding, maybe incidents like this would be rarer.”
Police have been notified and Royal Parks continues to review the circumstances surrounding the attack. For visitors planning a trip to Richmond Park, officials advise maintaining distance from deer at all times and avoiding any behaviour that might encourage them to approach people for food.
