Wollaton Park closed to the public after a walker was injured by a deer. The 500 acre park was shut for two hours during Sunday (October 16) morning as a result of the incident near the golf course in Lime Tree Avenue.
A male red stag, protective of his does, was said to have approached and injured a member of the public at 8.15am. The walker, who had been a safe distance away and done nothing wrong, was taken to hospital as a precaution. The deer was put down by a vet.
“Wollaton Park was closed temporarily this morning following an incident between a member of the public and a deer," said a Nottingham City Council spokesman. "The visitor was taken to hospital as a precaution and we understand that, thankfully, their injuries are not serious.
Read more: Police investigation after man's body pulled from canal in Nottingham city centre
"A vet was called to put down the deer shortly afterwards before the park reopened to the public.” Members of the public have been warned to be cautious around stags as they enter rutting season due to the fact they become more aggressive and protective of space and females. Peak rutting time is from November to January.
A professional at Wollaton Park Golf Club, who asked not to be named, told Nottinghamshire Live it was an "older gentleman" who had been injured. "From what I can gather a gentleman that walks every single morning down the golf course was walking by the second tee," he said. "A stag was protective of his does and took a disliking to him and he tried to get out the way but it didn't care."
The professional added: "It's the rutting season, all the members know to stay clear and I think the gentleman knows. I was quite surprised as they normally tend to be aggressive but don't attack anybody."
David Turner, from Derby, had made the journey to visit the park but said he was turned away before 9am due to the incident. "We pulled up to the gates and someone said they couldn't let us in," said the 55-year-old, who was visiting with his partner.
"We tried another gate as it was wide open but as we pulled up we were told it was closed because of an incident." Jon Tindell, 49, who lives close by and regularly visits the park, added: "The deer have become a lot less weary. But they're still wild animals, I just hope he's [the visitor] not too seriously hurt."
Deer have been known to attack people when they feel threatened, especially when they are rearing new-borns in the spring, or during the autumn rutting season. A man was attacked by a stag in Richmond Park, in London, in November 2020, after reportedly approaching the animal to feed it.
READ NEXT:
