A man in his 60s was attacked by a stag in Richmond Park on Saturday, suffering chest injuries. Emergency services were called to the south-west London park at 18:16 BST following reports of a deer attack.
The Metropolitan Police stated the man was taken to hospital, where his injuries were assessed as neither life-threatening nor life-changing. Royal Parks confirmed the male deer had approached the man's picnic group looking for food and was subsequently put down.
A Royal Parks spokesperson said the stag's behaviour meant it had to be put down as it was deemed a danger to visitors. The charity has issued a warning for visitors to stay 164 ft (50m) away from the animals, citing a rise in visitors feeding wild animals.
Royal Parks stated that repeated feeding can cause deer to lose their natural wariness of people, leading them to seek food from visitors and putting both animals and people at risk. They urged visitors to Richmond and Bushy parks not to feed, approach, or touch the deer, and to move away slowly if one approaches.