The beast of Bushy Park: Man hurled to ground in latest attack by a rutting stag

By NICK FAGGE and EMILY ANDREWS

Attack: A man in knocked down by the stag in Bushy Park in south-west London, the latest victim of the rutting animals that have rampaged through the park in recent weeks

Targets have already included a female walker, a young girl and a swan.

Now a man in his 50s has become the latest victim of rutting stags running rampant round a London park.

The unidentified man was knocked off his feet by the red male deer, who charged him from 200 yards away with its 16-point antlers, leaving him on his back and sending the bottle of water he was carrying flying.


Responsible? This sixteen point stag is believed to be the one that carried out the attack in Bushy Park

He was saved by passers-by, who ran to his aid and scared the animal away.

Autumn is the mating season for deer and stags aggressively compete for does, shunning food and devoting their time to capturing a harem of females, who come into season for only one or two days.

This year, however, that aggression appears to have spilled over into other targets.


And although no one can be sure if the same stag is responsible for all the attacks, locals at Bushy Park, in south-west London, are blaming an animal they have dubbed the Beast of Bushy.

Last week a woman walking through the park had to flee a charging stag, while a young girl was taken to hospital after she was attacked.

A Royal Parks spokesman said: ‘Deer are wild animals and must be treated with caution.

'Visitors are reminded to keep a respectful distance of at least 50 yards from the creatures.’

source: dailymail