LONDON—A young girl was taken to the hospital after being gored by a stag in one of London’s royal parks.
An air ambulance was sent to Bushy Park on Oct. 24 after a girl, reported to be around seven years old, was injured in the thigh after getting too close to a male deer.
She was taken to hospital, according to London Ambulance Service.
Bill Swan, Assistant Park Manager of Bushy Park, said in a statement, “We’re very sorry to hear that a girl has been gored in the thigh by a stag. We sincerely hope she makes a full and speedy recovery.”
There are warning signs across the park asking people to keep at least 50 metres (over 160 feet) away from the deer, he said.
“Eye witnesses reported to us that the family was standing very close to the stag and taking photos.”
Describing it as a “very frightening incident,” Swan said it served as a powerful warning not to approach stags during the autumn rutting season.
‘They Are Immensely Strong’
“Stags are wild animals and they are especially unpredictable at this time of year and can act defensively if they are aggravated or feel cornered.”
“They are immensely strong and can move very fast to defend themselves even from laying down when resting,” Swan said.
The girl is reported to be around seven years old, according to the BBC.
Robert Piper, 61, a photographer who was in the area at the time, told the Metro, “It all happened very quickly, it was very unexpected, especially in a sunny day in the middle of the park.”
‘The park was full at the time. Normally there are signs that say not to get close to the deers.”
London Ambulance Service (LAS) said in a statement that the incident occurred just after 3 p.m.
A spokesperson for LAS said, “We sent an ambulance crew and incident response officer and dispatched London’s Air Ambulance to the scene. We treated a child for a leg injury and took her to hospital by ambulance as a priority.”
Britain’s Largest Native Mammals
Bushy Park lies to the west of London’s city centre, nestled in a crook of the River Thames near Kingston-Upon-Thames.
The park is home to herds of red and fallow deer that have roamed freely through the park since the 15th century when the park was a royal chase—reserved for the likes of King Henry VIII to hunt.
Bushy Park has over 320 deer.
Red deer are Britain’s largest native mammals, and can reach 122 cm tall (four feet) at the shoulder and weigh up to 120 kg (265 lbs), according to the British Deer Society.
They have been roaming the British countryside since migrating from Europe 11,000 years ago.
The breeding season, or rut, occurs in early autumn.
“Stags return to the hind’s home range and compete for them by engaging in elaborate displays of dominance including roaring, parallel walks, and fighting,” according to the British Deer Society website.
“Serious injury and death can result from fighting but this only occurs between stags of similar size.”
