Wildlife Crime Case Study

A dog being walked in Richmond Park decided to chase a red deer. The deer ran into the path of an oncoming car, knocking its antler off and breaking its back leg. After impact the deer managed to run away but was chased by the dog, which continued to challenge it despite the attempted intervention of witnesses. Eventually a member of public was able to beat the dog off, but unfortunately the injuries to the deer were severe and it had to be shot by the gamekeeper. The car was written off in the incident. For the dog owner this incident was an offence under The Royal Parks and other Open Spaces Regulations (1997) which stipulates that no-one in the park may ‘intentionally injure or worry any animal'(20). She received a £1,000 fine in court. The deer had been recently purchased to supplement the breeding stock in the park at a cost of around £7000.