Puppy causes deer stampede which threatens park photographer
By Guest
30th Nov 2020 | Local News
A frightened group of fallow deer nearly trampled a photographer after they were sent stampeding by a puppy which was off the lead.
The dramatic incident, captured by photographer Max Ellis, happened in a foggy Bushy Park on Friday morning (November 27) amid mounting concern about confrontations between pet dogs and deer in Richmond's Royal Parks.
The parks' authorities have issued repeated pleas for dogs to be kept under close control at a time when huge numbers of people have been visiting over lockdown.
Four deer have died in Richmond Park since March following dog chases and there have been cases of people petting and crowding deer during rutting season.
Mr Ellis was taking pictures in the park when he was suddenly confronted by a herd of fallow deer being hotly pursued by a family dog.
He told Richmond Nub News: "To me it feels like every single family in London has acquired a lockdown dog. What better way to get more exercise and inject a bit of life and excitement into the mundanity and misery of these periods of isolation and separation from our friends and family?
"The Royal Parks are teeming with people enjoying the open spaces and proudly showing off their new pup. From a quiet spot where I like to sit and wait for the deer to appear I counted 14 dogs, half of which were off the lead. In pre-lockdown times I would maybe see one every 10 minutes or so.
"This influx of people and dogs has made the wildlife extremely nervous, and these animals are never more twitchy than in the fog. They rely on sight and smell to pre-empt danger and as soon as the visibility drops, they are all on high alert.
"Why you would allow your precious new puppy off the lead in dense freezing fog is beyond me. This particular dog had obviously charged off naturally excited by the thrill of the chase, spooked a herd of fallow deer and set off in hot pursuit.
"I had just rounded a corner on my bike heard a thundering on hooves, turned to face 8-10 deer rocketing blindly round the bend, missing me by about two metres. If a child had been in the way I hate to think what could have happened.
"I managed to fire off a couple of pictures before the bucks leapt to safety into a walled off section of Bushy Park, the puppy shot off back the way he had come to look for fresh sport.
Related coverage:
Message for owners after reports of deer killing dog in Richmond Park Remarkable images as bulldog takes on a stagVisitors 'pen in frightened' young deer
Photos released of Richmond Royal Parks visitors petting and crowding deer "There are many more misty mornings ahead of us as we head into the winter and it's idiotic of dog owners to allow their animals off the lead in the fog. I find it hard to believe anybody who actually knows anything about looking after a dog would put a young animal at such risk." In September, Mr Ellis, who was the lead photographer for Glastonbury Festival for seven years, captured images of a small French Bulldog angrily confronting a stag in Bushy Park. The latest incident comes shortly after a situation in Richmond Park when a dog, a Weimaraner, was reportedly killed by a large herd of deer after chasing the animals. It prompted a statement from park manager Simon Richards who said: "Deer are still being chased by dogs in Richmond Park. "Deer are fearful of dogs, regardless of the size or breed, and with good reason too. Since March of this year, four deer have suffered fatal injuries because of dog chases. "We urge all dog walkers to have their dogs under close control, and if there is any doubt about the temperament of their dog, it should be on a lead at all times, or walked elsewhere." Please like and follow our online newspaper on your favourite social media channel. You can find us @RichmondNubNews on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter.
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