Richmond Park: Visitors filmed 'trying to force antlers off deer', say police

Richmond Park visitors have been filmed attempting to pull the antlers off the park’s deer, police have said.

Royal Parks Police said it had received “concerning” reports over the weekend of people attempting to pull the deer’s antlers, saying some of the reports had been captured on video.

In a statement, it said: “We have received reports of concerning behaviour in Richmond Park over the weekend, where park users have been observed approaching the deer and attempting to remove their antlers.

“Video footage of these incidents has been obtained. We urge anyone who witnesses such behaviour to contact the police by calling 101.”

The south-west London park is home to over 630 red and fallow deer who have been roaming freely since 1637.

Park officials have repeatedly warned visitors to keep a minimum 50m distance from the deer for their safety.

Male deer have antlers which start growing in the spring and are shed each year, usually at the end of winter.

According to the Royal Parks website, antlers are made of bone which can grow at a rate of up to 2.5cm a day, with a soft covering known as velvet to protect newly forming antlers.

The velvet is then rubbed off by the male once growth is complete, in time for the rut in September.

Visitors are especially advised to keep away from the deer in rutting season as the red stags and fallow bucks compete for females, meaning they may be more aggressive than normal.

In 2017, a woman was savagely gored by a rutting stag as she strolled through the park.

Yuan Li, 43, feared for her life when she was stabbed through the thigh and her stomach as she was mauled in front of horrified tourists.

And in 2019, a stag was filmed ramming its antlers into a car after it passed within centimetres of the animal.