Story by Rory Poulter

The Royal Parks have urged visitors to be cautious when bringing picnics to the parks because of the impact they can have on the deer.

Deer in Richmond and Bushy Parks have been photographed devouring the remnants of picnics that have been carelessly left behind,

This is especially worrying as much of the rubbish left behind is plastic waste which the deer unwittingly consume.

It is likely this learned behaviour has occurred as a result of visitors feeding the free roaming wild deer in Bushy and Richmond Parks, despite it being illegal, unnecessary and dangerous.

The Royal Parks have advised visitors to avoid the following deer hotspots in Richmond and Bushy parks to prevent any potential poisoning of wildlife:

• The lawns between the Model Boat Pond and Playground in Bushy Park
• The areas between Richmond Gate and Hornbeam Avenue in Richmond Park
• By Pen Ponds in Richmond Park

Similarly the Parks give the following advice when approached by deer when visiting the Parks:

- Cover their food and close any bags

 - Leave the food behind and move back to a safe distance

 - Wait for the deer to move on before returning to their picnic spot

It is very important the deer are protected from this plastic grazing, not only can it obviously have detrimental effects on their health but it also prevents them from grazing which stops tree seedlings from growing and keeps the grassland open.

The Royal Parks said: "We're finding more litter being left than ever before and we urge people to bin it or if the bins are already full to please take it home.

"It's all too common that we spot deer, foxes, squirrels and birds eating plastic and other rubbish left behind by visitors, causing their stomachs to block up and bloat and preventing them passing waste.

"We want people to enjoy their visit to the beautiful spaces in our parks, but we ask visitors to stop, think and protect the wildlife they are there to enjoy."