The Royal Parks has slammed the ‘highly dangerous’ behaviour in a strongly-worded statement
London parkgoers have been urged to call the police if they see anyone touching the city’s deer following a number of ‘shocking’ incidents. The plea from Royal Parks comes after a video emerged of a group feeding the roaming animals in Bushy Park.
In a strongly-worded statement, the park managers slammed the ‘shocking’ behaviour as ‘highly dangerous’. “The deer are wild animals, not pets,” a spokesperson for the Royal Parks said after being forced to step in.
“They are large, powerful and unpredictable. A red stag can weigh up to 200kg. Getting this close and offering food puts people at real risk of serious injury.
“Feeding the deer is illegal in all of the Royal Parks. It is harmful to both people and animals. Once deer learn to associate visitors with food, they will approach and pester them.”
The Royal Parks is urging visitors to its green spaces to stay at least 50 metres away from the deer and avoid touching them. If one comes near, put all food and packaging away and move away slowly and calmly.
The statement continued: “Richmond Park alone covers 2,500 acres. Our staff and volunteers do a great job of speaking to visitors, and we have signage across the park, 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. If you witness someone putting themselves, others or the deer at risk, please report it to the police.”
Staff were previously forced to issue a warning when social media footage showing adults and children stroking the deer in Richmond Park went viral. A further video shows a man trying to move a stag away from his picnic with a large tree branch.
The worrying clips lead some viewers to call for the dedicated Royal Parks police to be reinstated. The Metropolitan Police announced in 2025 in was disbanding the unit as part of cuts due to a £260m hole in its budget.
At the time, disappointed Richmond Council Leader Gareth Roberts raised concerns over the decision. He told the Local Democracy Service: “At a time when residents are already concerned about the visibility of policing, this decision will do nothing to reassure them.
“The loss of the specialist policing team would leave them more vulnerable to crime and antisocial behaviour. This is a huge mistake.”
Councillor Roberts said the parks need officers with specialist training and experience. Without the Royal Parks Police, he said, responsibility for the vast open spaces will fall to overstretched local officers who are already managing high demand elsewhere.
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