Visitors to London parks warned to be wary of ‘aggressive’ animal this autumn

| Freelance News Reporter Published October 5, 2026 4:01pm Updated October 5, 2026 4:01pm A red deer stag pictured at sunrise in Richmond Park (Picture: Getty Images) Visitors to two major London parks have been warned to steer clear of deer during the rutting season. Families have been told to stay safe in Richmond and Bushy parks, two of the capital’s best-loved green spaces, as stags look to compete for doe mates. While an impressive spectacle, Royal Parks, which manages the two reserves, say the males can be ‘aggressive’ due to heightened levels of testosterone. Rutting season typically runs from September to early November, and can see stags weighing up to 150kg run at speeds of around 40mph. The safety campaign comes after a man was attacked by a stag which approached his picnic in August. Park owners were left with no choice but to cull the animal after it come to associate humans with food, putting visitors at risk. Visitors have been warned not to approach or feed deer during the rutting season, which runs from September to early November (Picture: Getty Images) Visitors have been reminded not to feed deer at any time in the parks, with the mammals able to find all the food they need naturally. Kate Allberry, a scientific and policy manager at the RSPCA, said that feeding or approaching deer can actually cause them to become stressed. ‘This can put both deer and people at greater risk, and in some cases, can have tragic consequences for animals’, she said. Paul Richards, the manager of Richmond Park, said: ‘We want everyone to enjoy the spectacle and privilege of seeing the deer during the rut. ‘But they are wild animals and can become aggressive and unpredictable during this season. It is critical that people keep at least 50m away from deer to avoid spooking them. There is a very real risk that if the deer become stressed, someone too close by could get seriously hurt or even killed. ‘The safest way to enjoy deer is always to observe them from a distance, keep dogs on leads or walk them elsewhere during the rut and never feed them. The message is clear: stay safe during the rut; ‘steer clear of deer’.’ Latest London news Charles Smith-Jones, a technical adviser to the British Deer Society, said: ‘Getting too close to rutting animals may not only put people at risk but can also disrupt or even halt natural behaviour at a time that is crucial to the deer’s reproductive cycle and well-being. ‘We would always encourage people to enjoy these remarkable animals from a distance and give them the space they need to behave naturally.’ Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk. For more stories like this, check our news page. Arrow MORE: This awkward scenario breaks the ‘first rule of the Tube’ — but Londoners are divided Arrow MORE: ‘I woke up to find blood all through my bed – I’d been bitten by a rat’ Arrow MORE: Huge power cut hits 32 London postcodes – see full list News Updates Stay on top of the headlines with daily email updates.