Wildlife
Herds of red and fallow deer roam freely within much of the park. A cull takes place each November and February to ensure numbers can be sustained. Some deer are also killed in road accidents, through the discarding of litter such as small items of plastic, or by dogs.
Many of the deer in Richmond Park are infected with a bacterium called Borrelia burgdorferi which can be transmitted to humans through a tick bite causing Lyme disease. Borrelia belong to a group of bacteria known as spirochetes which cause a number of diseases worldwide, including syphilis, leptospirosis, relapsing fever and Lyme disease.
It is an important refuge for other wildlife, including woodpeckers, squirrels, rabbits, snakes, frogs, toads, stag beetles and many other insects plus numerous ancient trees and varieties of fungi. It is particularly notable for its rare beetles.
Richmond Park supports a large population of what are believed to be Ring-necked (or Rose-ringed) Parakeets. These bred from birds that escaped or were freed from captivity.
Read more about this topic: Richmond Park
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