Moment a stag practices its football skills as it pushes a ball along park river

Video shows the moment a stag was spotted practising its football skills along the River Thames.

The lone stag was skillfully pushing a ball along the water with its nose and its horns in Bushy Park in Richmond-upon-Thames.

Katie O’Lone captured the video during a stroll through the south west London park after a nursery run. She claims the animal had ‘football fever’.

There are around 320 Red and Fallow Deer that roam freely across Bushy Park but so far only this one has shown off some serious football skills.

A stag was spotted practising its football skills along the River Thames in Bushy Park

The lone stag was skillfully pushing a ball along the water with its nose and its horns in Bushy Park in Richmond-upon-Thames

‘The stags often wallow in the river in Bushy Park in the early evening but today they seemed to have football fever with one dribbling up stream having found an abandoned football stuck in the reeds,’ Ms O’Lone said.

‘I spotted it as I was walking back from doing the nursery run – light entertainment before bed.’

Bushy Park is a so-called deer park, according to The Royal Parks. This means Red and Fallow Deer roam freely throughout the area, just as they did when Henry VIII used to hunt here. 

Herds are kept out of the Woodland Gardens and other protected plantations. 

Park officials say having deer graze throughout the area is essential in maintaining the ‘high wildlife value of the park’s grasslands’.

Grazing is said to create ‘more variation in structure and plant diversity’ than cutting, and doesn’t damage anthills.

Katie O’Lone captured the video during a stroll through the south west London park after a nursery run. She claims the animal had ‘football fever’

There are around 320 Red and Fallow Deer that roam freely across Bushy Park but so far only this one has shown off some serious football skills

Red Deer are the largest mammal native to the British Isles, and sport glossy red coats in the summertime. 

Fallow deer are smaller than Red Deer and their summer coats vary from a cream to dark brown colour. 

The Royal Parks reminds parkgoers that ‘deer are wild animals’ and walkers should keep at least 50 metres away from them.

Parkgoers should also be aware of their surroundings so they do not come between two rutting stags or a mother and her calves.

Calves are typically born in between May and July. They are ‘very vulnerable’ and mother deer will be extra vigilant in defending their young.