12/03/2025
🚨 Please do not feed the deer across any parks!
These animals are wild and should be respected and left alone. They have all the need on our parks and will never go hungry as they are grazers and will eat a variety of new shoots and leaves, berries, grass, and woody plants.
Feeding only encourages behaviour that is unnatural and sadly increases the risk of poaching.
🚨 Please do not feed the deer in our country parks
We’re getting more reports of people feeding deer from their cars and in nearby housing estates and it’s causing serious problems.
Deer are getting stuck in fences and football nets, and they’re losing their natural fear of cars. When they start associating cars with food, they’re more likely to run into roads, leading to collisions.
Last year alone, rangers were called to over 164 deer collisions on Cannock Chase.
Feeding deer also makes them dependent on humans and vulnerable to poachers. Their stomachs aren’t designed for human food, which can make them seriously ill.
With spring here, you might spot baby deer (fawns). If you do, don’t touch or move them. Their mothers will return, but only if they don’t smell human scent on their young.
Help us protect these beautiful animals. Don't feed or approach the deer and keep your dogs away.
If you hit a deer or see one injured on the road, call 999. To report a dead deer on the roadside, call 101 so a warden can be sent out.
Photo credit: John Kraujalis
