A Red Deer called name Callum by his many online fans, has had to be humanely euthanised by vets.
The stag had, for many years, been approaching visitors to the Beinn Eighe car park at Torridon in the Scottish Highlands to get a sugary treat.
Despite a sign in the car park with Callum’s picture and the message “Please do not feed me or get too close!” enthusiastic tourists shared fruit bars, breakfast cereal and croissants with him.
These inappropriate snacks led to the stag’s teeth rotting and many of them fell out, leaving him unable to graze the tough heather, grasses and tree shoots that are a Scottish deer’s normal diet.
The tragic end of a favourite animal that had featured in the memories and social media posts of many tourists taking the North Coast 500 holiday route, highlights the consequences of feeding wild creatures.
Andrew Grant McKenzie, who has written extensively on the history of the Highlands, including the Red Deer, said: The issue of people feeding wildlife is one that comes up regularly across the Highlands.
Callum was a wild animal who became a bit of a local legend and if he is now gone, hopefully his life has highlighted the importance of respecting our natural world in the Highlands and not feeding the deer things which they wouldn’t be able to browse themselves naturally.
“There is no doubt Callum had a good long life for a stag,” added Mr McKenzie, but the general feeling is that inappropriate feeding led to his demise, rather than simply old age.
A spokesperson for the National Trust for Scotland said: “We are saddened to say that following expert vet advice, Callum the stag, who was often found in the car park at Torridon, has had to be humanely put down.
“We know that many in the community, and visitors too, will be sorry to hear this. As a conservation charity, we take our responsibilities for animal welfare seriously and the advice was that this was the kindest option.”
General advice for anyone coming into contact with wild deer is not to feed them or approach too closely. Anything other than their natural diet can cause stomach issues, an increase in parasites and the risk of disease transmission. And, as in the case of Callum, an excess of sugar ingested in sweet and processed foods can cause damaging tooth decay.
Interacting with deer can also lead to aggressive behaviour and endanger the animals by encouraging them to be near to roads.
