Wollaton Park. Deer [03]

It was an absolute delight to observe the wild red deer at Wollaton Park. It's now rutting season and the stags are very protective of the hinds. A safe viewing distance of 50m is recommended by the park.

 

Wollaton Park is home to two herds of deer: Red Deer (Cervus elaphus) and Fallow Deer. Red Deer are larger than fallow deer and have reddish-brown fur, seen here. The park is their home and they roam freeley.

There are over 90 red and 120 fallow deer at Wollaton Park. These wild deer are incredible to see, though during the rutting season (September and October), Stags are protective of Doe/Hinds (female deer).

 

The red Deer is the Britains largest land mammal. When fully grown, stags weigh between 90 to 190kg and stand at around 1.07 to 1.37m tall at the shoulder.

Doe/Hinds weigh between 63 and 120 kg and stand up to 1.22 m at the shoulder.

The average lifespan is 18 years.

 

Rutting Season.

The breeding season, or the rut, occurs from the end of September to November. Stags return to the hind’s home range and compete for them by engaging in elaborate displays of dominance including roaring, parallel walks, and fighting. Serious injury and death can result from fighting but this only occurs between stags of similar size that cannot assess dominance by any of the other means. The dominant stag then ensures exclusive mating with the hinds.

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