Deer in Dublin’s Phoenix Park have been fed chocolate, crisps, fizzy drinks and other low-quality foods by visitors, altering the animals’ natural behaviour, a report into the urban herd has found.
A campaign, entitled Protect Our Park – Don’t Feed The Deer, has been unveiled by the Office of Public Works in response to the report by University College Dublin that reported unhealthy consequences of feeding.
Male deer have been fed lower-quality food compared to female deer, resulting in smaller antlers and impacting their success rate during mating season, the report found.
Human feeding has also increased the animals’ dependency on artificial food, with 25 per cent now regularly approaching visitors for food.
Plane with 64 onboard crashes near Washington DC after collision with military helicopter
Five security steps you need to take now on your phone
Ireland name team to play England: Live updates as Sam Prendergast picked to start at 10 for Six Nations opener
Finn McRedmond: I am tired of explaining Michael D Higgins’s words to incredulous English people
Female deer that eat artificial food items are giving birth to heavier fawns, disrupting the female’s natural productive cycle, while deer that seek food from humans are more likely to pass that trait on to their young.
The Minister of State for the Office of Public Works, Kieran O’Donnell, said: “By keeping our distance from the deer and refraining from feeding them, visitors can play a pivotal role in safeguarding the future of these magnificent creatures, who have called the Phoenix Park home for over 350 years.
“Feeding disrupts the delicate ecological balance and could ultimately jeopardise the deer population’s existence in the park,” he said.
“Dubliners take immense pride in the Phoenix Park, and it is a wonderful place to visit for locals and tourists. I am asking all visitors to support this campaign and keep these iconic deers safe in their natural home.”
Visitors have been advised to keep a distance of at least 50m (164ft) from the deer and not to engage in any behaviour that poses risk to the deer or to themselves, including feeding and taking selfies.
Educational signs indicating the long-term ramifications of unnatural feeding – including increased risk of disease transmission, human injuries and stress for the animal due to unwanted interactions – will be installed throughout the park.
- Sign up for push alerts and have the best news, analysis and comment delivered directly to your phone
- Join The Irish Times on WhatsApp and stay up to date
- Listen to our Inside Politics podcast for the best political chat and analysis
