sent from: London, UK. destination: London, UK

The Royal Parks of London with their free-roaming deer are not secret. Richmond Park is crossed every day by hundreds of cyclists, runners and drivers looking to make their commutes feel worthwhile. Richmond achieved notoriety briefly last year with the viral video of one man and his poshly named dog Fenton who went tearing off after a herd of deer. Less well known, however, is that you can enter the park after dark via the pedestrian access, although the main gates are all shut to car traffic.
It is dark, lit by the glow of the city diffusing through the clouds. The occasional cyclist comes past. Deer feeding on the roadside verges emerge and enjoy the park being theirs once more. A guttural bellow comes from the trees. Across the park the stag call to each other. On a hillside we see a stag silhouetted against the orange sky, head pushed forward as he calls to his brethren. In 2 weeks the parks will close even at night for 8 weeks for the annual cull. One of London’s best kept secrets.