Families are being urged to keep away from the Phoenix Park deer this Christmas.
The Office of Public Works (OPW), which manages the Park, have asked people not to feed or try to take selfies with the animals amid reports of malnourishment and stress within the deer population.
The OPW say the increased number of visitors in the Park over the lockdown has caused "undue stress" on the deer, Dublin Live reports.
And they are pleading with people to stay at least 50 metres away from the herds.
"Deer have been the subject of many books and films and have a special place in our hearts," said Park Superintendent Paul McDonnell.
"However, these depictions often make them appear domesticated which they are not.
"It has led many of us to believe that we are being helpful when we give them carrots or bread but we are causing significant long term harm to the animals and potentially ourselves.
"The wild deer also pose a significant threat of injury, especially to young people given their size and potentially erratic behaviour.”
The public were served a timely reminder of this after a family was forced into a hasty retreat after getting too close to fallow deer during mating season in October.
The animals became aggressive when the daytrippers were attempting to feed them at the weekend.
Human interaction with the deer, according to the OPW, can lead to:
- Malnourishment – the park provides the perfect feeding habitat for the deer and other food such as carrots or bread are harmful
- Offering food can cause competition amongst the deer resulting in injuries and high stress levels
- Close contact can cause the exchange of disease between wild animals and humans
- The deer are wild and therefore unpredictable and potentially dangerous
- They can move at great speed and strength if taken by surprise, such as by sudden human movements
As an alternative to direct engagement, there will be a number of special post boxes across the Park where children can drop off letters to the deer.
