A rare stag beetle was recently spotted making its way down the subway steps at Kew Gardens Station by Kew Society volunteer.

The large male beetle, with deep red, antler-like pincers, was rescued by Gardening Lead and volunteer for the Kew Society, Anna Anderson, who relocated it to a safer environment nearby.

Stag beetles (Lucanus cervus) are a partially protected species across the UK and face threats throughout northern Europe.

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) lists them as 'Near Threatened', making sightings increasingly unique.

additionally, the Thames Valley is home to some of the largest populations of these beetles worldwide, highlighting the area's importance for biodiversity.

Despite their appearance, stag beetles pose no danger to people.

Their presence is actually a good sign for the local ecosystem say Kew Society.

Just days after the male's rescue at Kew Gardens Station, a family on North Road reported spotting a female stag beetle in their garden.

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Stag beetles live most of their lives as larvae, feeding on decaying wood underground for up to seven years. The adult beetles emerge for just a few weeks in late spring and early summer, primarily to mate.

Males can grow up to 75mm in length and are known to fly short distances, often drawn to warm surfaces such as pavements during warm evenings in May and June.

Kew Society say if you have recently cut down trees or have old rotting wood in your garden, you may unwittingly be hosting stag beetle larvae beneath the surface.

If seen and report the sighting via the Great Stag Hunt website or the European Stag Beetle Monitoring Network.

The Kew Society encourages locals to share their stag beetle photos on social media using #kewstagbeetle and tagging @kewsociety, helping to raise awareness of the creatures.