Red Deer: The red deer is Britain's largest native land mammal. Originally a species of the woodland edge, red deer have adapted to an existence in open 'deer forests' of the Scottish Highlands. More recently they have colonized commercial conifer plantations where they can attain high population densities.
Fallow Deer: Fallow exhibit extreme flexibility in most aspects of their social organization. In high-density populations in large woodlands such as the New Forest, males and females plus young live in separate groups, except during the autumn rut. In lower-density populations in agricultural areas, however, mixed-sex groups regularly occur throughout the winter.
Sika Deer: In recent years the sika has extended its range, especially in Scotland. The distribution map shows how it is now well established from Argyll up to the Great Glen and again north from Inverness to Sutherland. Another colony in Peebles is now expanding northward and eastward. In England sika are to be found in Lancashire and Yorkshire, southern Dorset and the New Forest. In addition, small local populations exist in the vicinity of several of the parks from which they originally escaped.
Chinese Water Deer: The Chinese Water Deer is the least common of our wild deer population and it is often said we know little about it. This is invariably a reflection of its limited geographic distribution. Having been in this country longer than the Muntjac deer and having the potential of a high fecundity rate, raises the question of their very limited expansion within England. Whatever the reasons for this, the Chinese Water Deer is a biologically significant deer and a charming addition to our wild deer population. It deserves to be cherished, not least because in their native land they are 'red listed' as an endangered species.
|
