The park manager of Richmond Park has spoken about a photo which made national news this week.

It pictures a woman in a blue dress clutching her arms into her body as a deer jumps up on her.

Royal Parks Police shared the image in a tweet that has now been deleted. It read: "This picture, taken on October 11 in #RichmondPark, demonstrates why you need to #Stay50mAway They are wild animals and can cause you injury #WeAreNotBambi."

Multiple people questioned whether the extraordinary image was real, saying there is a lack of reaction from the woman and that the deer looks superimposed. But we have now heard that the attack happened after she was seen feeding the deer.

Richmond Park park manager Simon Richards told Richmond Nub News: "On Sunday, a woman was jumped on by a hind (female deer) when she got far too close.

"We were informed by eyewitnesses that prior to the incident she was feeding the deer. We understand that the woman was not seriously injured and we sincerely hope she is ok.

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"This incident serves as a powerful warning that deer are wild and unpredictable animals and a minimum 50 metre distance must be adhered to at all times. This is especially important as we are in the middle of rutting season, when male deer are flooded with testosterone and adrenaline.

"It's also important to stress that deer do not require feeding from the public.

"Both Richmond and Bushy Parks provide ample natural food for deer that is suited to their nutritional needs.

"By feeding deer you are doing them more harm than good, and putting yourself in unnecessary danger at the same time."