'Aggressive' deer

It is usual for the Park’s deer to give birth in late May and early June. The young are not ready to follow their mothers for one or two weeks and hide in dense bracken, with their mothers grazing in the vicinity.

This year the deer appear to have given birth a week or so early and the bracken has developed a week or so later than usual. The lack of cover may make the deer feel particularly vulnerable to disturbance. As a precaution we recommend that dog walkers avoid the more remote areas of the park and stay on popular routes and open areas of short grass where the deer can be seen from afar.

If a deer approaches you it is probably because she has a calf somewhere nearby. Walking away from her may inadvertently mean that you are walking towards the calf causing her to be more defensive. The preferred course of action would be to retrace your footsteps, back the way you came and take a wide berth on a different track.

By late June the Red Deer calves are generally mobile and will avoid people but the Fallow Deer fawns are generally born a little later and will still be vulnerable.

For more information please see the Royal Parks website

Annie Murray adds “Please remember these are wild parks and the home of the deer; we are fortunate