Cops share pic of woman ‘being attacked by wild deer’ in Richmond Park while posing for Insta – but is all as it seems?
A WOMAN posing for an Instagram shot with wild deer in a London park was reportedly attacked by one of the creatures - prompting cops to warn that the animals "aren't like Bambi".
Officers from the Met's Royal Parks team shared a photo of the lady, who wore a summery blue dress for her trip to Richmond Park, as she was apparently booted from behind by one of the animals.
Urging members of the public to stay at least 50 metres away from the deer, officers tweeted: “This picture, taken on October 11 in Richmond Park, demonstrates why you need to stay 50m away.
“They are wild animals and can cause you injury #WeAreNotBambi.”
However, all may not be quite as it appears - as officials at the force have been unable to confirm the veracity of the image, which was tweeted on an official account.
But images from other Instagram accounts show social media users keen to get a photo with the deer standing near the creatures and even hand-feeding them.
Locals have blasted the social media users online.
One woman called Jennie posted: “Anything for a good Insta feed right.
“I bet she had a lot of likes so the bruises were worth it.”
Another said: “It’s so upsetting how many imbeciles get too close to the deer at Richmond Park.
“It is so bad that I believe that Richmond Park should be closed during mating season.
“Humans will never learn and too many have no respect for nature and are just doing it for Instagram.”
A third fumed: “Stupid humans.”
Another quipped: “I was in wellies and jumpers on Sunday.
“So goodness knows why she was in a summer frock.”
Earlier this month, police were called to reports of a dog attacking a fawn in the park.
The creature died of its injuries.
The owner of the dog - a 68-year-old man from Kingston - has been charged with offences under the Park Regulations. He's due to appear in court in December.
Richmond Park is a national nature reserve and deer park, where 630 red and fallow deer have roamed freely since 1637.
The deer 'rut' - or breeding season - takes place in the autumn.
Their young are born between May and July.
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Visitors to the park are urged to keep away from the creatures at all times, but especially during both breeding and rutting seasons.
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Officials from the park say: "The deer are wild animals - please keep at least 50 metres away from the deer and be aware of your surroundings so that you do not come between two rutting stags or a mother and her calf.
"Don't touch, feed or attempt to photograph the deer at close range."
