The Muntjac Deer, also known as the barking deer because of its ghostly night calls, is one of our most common but also I think, more fascinating mammals, found in abundance in our area. Many of us would have seen this curious dwarf like deer at one point or another but they receive little attention in the wildlife media compared to their much larger cousins, the Fallow and Red deer. Yes, those deers are far more impressive in build and confidence but let’s not forget our shy little Muntjacs going about their
lives quietly in the forests and fields.
They are the oldest known deer species in the world and are thought to have begun appearing between 15-35 million years ago! The present day species is native to south Asia and India and are closely related to mammals such as springbok and antelope. This combination of breeds gives them their distinctively odd proportioned body with a long nose, pointed ears, spotted back and small stubby legs rather than tall and strong like Red deer.
Muntjacs have no need to be tall, they live off the forest floor, seeking out fresh roots, nuts, berries and spring buds to munch their way through. Being so small they are able to camouflage in with the bushes offering them safety from predators and safe havens from humans. Their introduction to England’s wildlife back in 1925 was somewhat
done by mistake (as in most cases). A small number of them managed to escape the park land of Woburn Abbey estate and since then their numbers have been steadily growing in the wild.
Muntjac deer have no seasonal rut and so mating can take place at any time of year- this is a big part of why they are such a success, even in our world today that very much as the hand of man firmly on it, they still continue to grow in numbers. Sadly other then the occasional glimpse of them within the countryside or in the village at night, the most common place to see them is lying on the sides of our roads and motor ways dead.
A study carried out by the British Deer Society back in 2009 found that along with hedgehogs, badgers and rabbits, Muntjac deer are the most frequently found mammal to be killed by cars. Roads are a huge danger for many animals but thankfully in the Muntjac’s case, their population is stable even with road deaths.
Many wildlife rescue centres have Muntjac deers brought into them, especially babies- this is because if the mother is killed on a road, the baby is often found nearby in the long grass crying. Despite being dedicated to hedgehogs, we recently had a baby Muntjac brought into us, suffering a similar fate, in these cases the baby can be fed by bottle and normally can be rehabilitated and then released into the wild. Their thin hoofed feet mean that they also sometimes become tangled up in fencing and wire.
If you come across one that has its foot caught, often the wire can be cut and the deer released, but sadly sometimes the foot becomes infected and broken in which case, hold back to avoid further stressing it, call for help and if possible place a towel over its head. Darkness calms them as with most mammals.
So next time you see one rustling about in the trees, just think how lucky you are to see such a splendid creature, they deserve more love then they get. Dear oh Deer no more!.... (Photo of baby Muntjac deer brought to a local rescue centre after its mum was killed on a motor way).
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