People are being reminded not to feed the deer in the Phoenix Park in Dublin.
The Irish Deer Commission says the situation has become "out of control due" to the increasing number of visitors during lockdown.
The deer have been in the park since 1662, and there are signs in place asking people not to feed the animals and to keep their distance.
#DontFeedTheDeer #StayBackStaySafe #StaySafeDontSelfie pic.twitter.com/CSz6UzsnNH
— Phoenix Park (@phoenixparkopw) November 27, 2020
Damien Hannigan from the commission says the deer are protected under the Wildlife Act.
He says the increasing visitors to the park is "creating a higher level of disturbance".
Humans Disturbing Mating Season Narrowly Avoid Injury
Damien says there were a number of "near misses last autumn".
"Particularly during the mating season, which is September-October when males or bucks are fighting."
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"We've had a number of near-misses whereby people are trying to get between bucks fighting."
He said some people have been pushed out of the way by deer and narrowly avoided injury.
The Commission is reminding visitors it's an offence to disturb a protected species, and people can face fines for doing so.
