• RichmondPark,originallyaRoyalhuntingground, ishometoaround345Reddeerand315Fallowdeer.
• IntroducedbyHenryVIIIforhunting,morethan 90Reddeerand140Fallowdeerroamfreelythroughout BushyPark.
• Enclosedin1433,GreenwichParkistheoldestof London’sdeerparksandisnowhometoasmallherd ofbothRedandFallowdeer.
For other enquiries, contact:
TheRoyalParks,TheOldPoliceHouse,HydePark,LondonW22UHT:03000612000E:[email protected]
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Keeping visitors and deer safeDeerarewildanimals.Itisdangeroustoapproachthem,especiallyinMay,JuneandJuly,whennursingmothersareprotectingtheiryoung,andbetweenSeptemberandNovember,whenthemalesarerutting.Werecommendyouwalkyourdogoutsidetheparkatthesetimes.
• Keepatleast50mawayfromthedeerandstayalert.
• Donotfeedortouchthedeerorphotographthem atcloserange.
• Keepdogsonleadswhendeerarenearby.Itisan offencetoallowadogtochasethedeer.
• Nevertouchormoveayoungdeer.Theyareoftenleft alonebytheirmothersbutareneverabandoned.
• Pleaseputyourlitterinabin.Deerchewlitterandit maycausetheirdeath.
IfyoutoowouldliketomakeagifttoyourlocalRoyalPark,contacttheRoyalParksFoundation.www.SupportTheRoyalParks.org [email protected]
TheRoyalParks’deerherdsareverygratefultoArtemisfortheirgeneroussupport.CONSERVATION PARTNER
Admire the deer in Richmond, Bushy and Greenwich Parks
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SPECIESOFDEERTheRoyalParksarehometotwospeciesofdeer–RedandFallow.
ReddeerareindigenoustoBritainandarethecountry’slargestlandmammals.FallowdeerwereintroducedtoBritainbytheNormansafterdyingoutduringtheiceageandhavesincebecomethemostwidespreadspeciesofdeerinBritain.
REDDEERMale=StagFemale=HindYoungDeer=Calf
FALLOWDEERMale=BuckFemale=DoeYoungDeer=Fawn
COATSDeergrownewcoatstwiceayear.ReddeerhaveathinsinglecoatofglossyredhairwhichreplacesthethickwintercoatinJune.Fallowcoatsvaryincolourfromcreamtodarkbrown,thedappledcoatbeingthebestknown.
GRAzINGGrazingisessentialtomaintainthehighwildlifevalueofthepark’sgrassland.Unlikecutting,deergrazingcreatesmorevariationinstructureandplantdiversityanddoesnotdamagetheanthillswhichareofgreatecologicalimportancetothegrassland.Deergrazingalsopreventstreeseedlingsfromgrowing,keepingthegrasslandopen.
ANTLERSAllmaledeerhaveantlerswhichstartgrowinginthespringandareshedeachyear,usuallyattheendofwinter.Antlersaremadeofbonewhichcangrowatarateof2.5centimetres(1inch)aday.AsoftcoveringknownasvelvethelpstoprotectnewlyformingantlerswhichislostintimefortherutinSeptember.Thelength,thicknessandcolouroftheantlerscandeterminetheageofthestag.Fallowbucksoverthreeyearsoldusuallyhavepalmate(flattened)antlers.
THERUTSeptembersignalsthebeginningofthedeer‘rut’(breedingseason)whichlastsuntilNovember.TheRedstagsandFallowbuckscompeteforfemales.Atthistime,thelargemalesroar,barkandclashantlersinaspectacularwayinanattempttofightoffrivalsandtoattractasmanyfemalesaspossible.Sometimesthedeermaybeinjuredandsomeareevenkilledduringthefightsforsupremacy.
THECULLSThereare2cullsinRichmondPark–themalesinFebruaryandthefemalesinNovember.InBushyPark,however,themaleculltakesplaceinSeptemberandthefemalecullinNovember.Thecullisnecessaryinordertomaintainthenumberofdeerintheparkandpreventovergrazingwhichwouldultimatelyresultinstarvation.ItisalsothereasonwhyRoyalParks’herdsareinexcellentcondition.
CALVINGANDFAWNINGTheyoungarebornmainlyinJuneandarehiddenbytheirmothersamongstthebrackenandlonggrass.Femalesandtheiryoungareveryvulnerableandsensitivetodisturbanceatthistimeandthefemalescanbeveryprotectiveandaggressive.
FEEDINGThenaturalplantlifeprovidessufficientnutrientsforthedeerwithasupplementofdeernuts,maizeandhayduringthewintermonths.Acorns,horsechestnuts(conkers)andsweetchestnutsformavitalpartofthedietofdeerandareimportantinbuildingupfatreservesforthewinter.Thatiswhyvisitorsarenotallowedtocollectconkersandchestnutsinthepark.
