In Dublin's Phoenix Park, which receives about ten million visitors annually, fallow deer (Dama dama) have become accustomed to approaching people in hopes of a treat. What started as an innocent desire to feed an animal has turned into a persistent problem: the deer have begun begging for food even from those who have nothing, which increases the risk of disease spread, aggression, and traffic accidents.
A seven-year study, conducted in the park from 2018 to 2024, showed how difficult it is to change human behavior. Scientists tested three different campaigns to reduce feeding. The first, in 2019, relied on signs, posters, and increased ranger patrols—and resulted in a noticeable decrease in incidents. However, in 2020, the pandemic disrupted all plans, and in 2021, social media and letters to "Santa Deer" only temporarily reduced visitor activity.
By 2022, the feeding level had not only returned to its original level but exceeded it. The most ambitious campaign in 2024, which invested seven times more funds and involved television, radio, and celebrities, had no effect at all. People seemed to have stopped noticing the signs, and foreign tourists were not reached by local social media messages.
The study also identified other reasons for the failures: some popular internet pages actually encouraged feeding, and seasonal and daily visitor peaks coincided with the highest activity of male deer. Data was collected using two independent methods—observing deer groups on weekends and conducting regular surveys throughout the year, which allowed for tracking seasonal patterns.
The authors emphasize that without constant, "always-on" communication, even successful measures quickly lose their effectiveness. They recommend involving social psychologists and marketers in campaign development, as well as considering long-term educational programs for local residents. One-off actions, as it turned out, do not change deep-seated habits.
Thus, protecting wild animals from unnecessary human intervention requires not sporadic efforts, but systematic and continuous work.
