Warning after Wollaton Park visitors pictured taking dangerous close-ups with deer

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One visitor was pictured posing with his head between the deer's antlers. (Photo: Kate Thomas).

Wollaton Park staff have warned visitors of the dangers posed by its wild deer after people were pictured posing for photographs inches from the animals.

Several visitors were captured standing close to the animals in a series of shots taken by local wildlife photographers on Saturday (October 14).

In one, a man wearing a ‘suicide squad’ t-shirt appears to pose with his head between a stag’s antlers.

Sutton in Ashfield amateur photographer Kate Thomas, who took several of the photos, told Notts TV: “I warned some of these people as I was walking by – don’t take your children up to them, don’t go near the stag.

“They just said ‘thank you’ and carried on.

“It’s very dangerous. They just seemed to really want to take the pictures, there was one man who almost lifted his toddler right up to sit him on it.”

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Other visitors were pictured close to the deer, prompting Wollaton Park to issue a warning. (Photo: Kate Thomas)

Earlier this month a woman was gored by a stag while filming a group of deer in Richmond Park, London, from a distance of around 50 metres.

Yuan Li, 43, was stabbed in the stomach and leg after being charged. She needed surgery after being left lying on the ground covered in blood.

Deer are known to be particularly dangerous during the breeding season, between September and November, when males deer roar, grunt and clash antlers in an attempt to fight off rivals and attract females.

A statement from Wollaton Park staff posted on Facebook read: “Thank you to everybody who has flagged up the very important safety issue of people taking ‘selfies’ with the deer on the park.

“We would like to take this opportunity to remind people that the deer in the are wild animals and their behaviour cannot be predicted.

“It is extremely dangerous to approach the animals at this very close distance as we cannot predict how they may react. They are very large and could inflict a lot of damage. The animal could also become injured.

“Intrusions such as these are unsettling for the animals. Please leave them in peace to roam the grounds while being observed at a distance.

“If you have any concerns about an animal or the way visitors are behaving around the deer, please report this to a member of staff and we will investigate.”

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