Young girl gored by deer in London park

Child injured in Kingston's Bushy Park amid warnings for visitors to steer clear of rutting stags

Bushy Park has previously warned the public to avoid its resident deer during rutting season (Sue Lindenberg)

A young girl was gored by a deer during the height of rutting season at a southwest London park.

Thought to be around seven-years-old, the child was treated by an air ambulance crew following the incident at Bushy Park near Kingston.

She reportedly suffered an injury to her thigh and received emergency care at the scene before she was transferred by road to hospital.

The attack comes as deer, which have wandered the park freely since the times of Henry VIII, engage in rutting, a process where stags will continuously fight each other in pursuit of females for mating.

The season usually reaches its peak in October, when the testosterone-pumped deer, weighing up to 25 stone each and capable of running at 30 miles per hour, behave in a highly aggressive manner.

Bill Swan, Bushy Park’s assistant manager, warned that visitors approaching deer during rutting season were putting themselves in harm’s way.

“We’re very sorry to hear that a girl has been gored in the thigh by a stag,” he said. “We sincerely hope she makes a full and speedy recovery. This is a very frightening incident. Eye witnesses reported to us that the family was standing very close to the stag and taking photos, even though there are prominent signs up in the park telling people not to get too close to the deer.

“This distressing incident is an unfortunate but powerful warning to everyone why it is dangerous to approach stags during the autumn rutting season, and at any time in fact.

“Stags are wild animals and they are especially unpredictable at this time of year and can act defensively if they are aggravated or feel cornered; they are immensely strong and can move very fast to defend themselves even from laying down when resting.”

The park added it displays a number of signs across its grounds asking visitors to keep at least 50m away from deer in order to reduce the risk of being attacked.

Bushy Park, home to herds of both red and fallow dear, warned wildlife photographers earlier this month not to approach the animals during rutting season, while dog owners were told to either keep their pets on a lead or stay away entirely.

One woman has already been badly injured at the park this October after she was charged by a deer, which stabbed her through the thigh and stomach with its antlers.