People in London’s Richmond Park have been filmed approaching deer and attempting to remove their antlers, according to police.
Royal Parks Police, which monitors the west London park, said they received reports of some visitors trying to “take hold of [the antlers] and force them off”.
The park is renowned for over 600 red and fallow deer which have roamed freely on its grounds since 1637, making it a popular tourist attraction.
The force said the “concerning” incidents were “distressing for the deer” and highlighted it was a criminal offence to pull their antlers off.
All male deer have antlers which begin growing in spring and are shed naturally each year, usually at the end of winter.
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Antlers play a key role in the rutting season when the males assert their dominance, clashing antlers with rivals to attract as many potential mates as possible.
Richmond Park advises all visitors to observe a minimum distance of 50m from its deer due to their wild and unpredictable nature.
