© David Lloyd / Barcroft Media
These stunning pictures show red deer in London’s Richmond Park during the annual mating season.
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Taken by New Zealand born David Lloyd the shots show the majestic stags grazing under a tree canopy in the early morning mist.
Although aware of David’s presence the beasts continued to call and rut just metres from him.
© David Lloyd / Barcroft Media
“It was wonderful, I love going down there in the morning, it is quite majestic,” he said.
The studio manager made the 15-minute taxi journey from his home in Ealing, London, to the park last week.
As the sun rose above the horizon David, 46, found himself in a clearing surrounded by four bellowing stags.
© David Lloyd / Barcroft Media
Keeping low to the ground and remaining deathly quiet David perched his camera against a tree and used wood to steady it before snapping these pictures.
“I went a bit closer than most people would because they can be quite dangerous,” he said.
“The stag noticed I was there and was quite obliging.
“You have got to respect them and if he had looked uncomfortable I would have moved away.”
© David Lloyd / Barcroft Media
Richmond Park, originally a deer-hunting park, still has 300 Red Deer and 350 fallow deer.
Strolling through the designated nature reserve you can expect to see swans, mallards, gadwalls and pike.
Autumn sees ones of natures great spectacles – deer rutting. The male deer lock antlers in a head-to-head battle for a mate.
© David Lloyd / Barcroft Media
Female deer are only fertile for a day or less each year so competition to mate is extremely high and stags will fight off rivals to attract as many does as possible.
“The noise is incredible, it is between a roar and a bellow,” added David.
© David Lloyd / Barcroft Media
“But you would not want to get between two as they are very territorial, so I had to constantly look behind me and make sure there wasn’t another one there.”
Words by Lucy Tatchell
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