Red Deer Photographs by Yvonne van der Mey

The largest of our mammals is the Red Deer, with a shoulder height of up to 1,5 metres. A fully grown male can weigh as much as 200 kg or more; a very impressive and majestic animal with antlers that can get as wide as 1 metre. The females and calves live in herds and the males herd with other males of various ages, except during the rutting season, in September, when the males go out on their own to find females.

They change a lot in the month before, as they eat a lot and become pretty fat because during the rutting season they hardly eat anything at all. Their necks become thicker and they grow temporary manes on their throats. During this period they produce an incredible sound, known as roaring. It sounds a bit like the roaring of a lion, and the sound carries a very long way.

Loads of people love to go into the woods at night during this period, because it's such a thrill to hear this ancient sound, but this disturbs the animals during a very important time of their year, so more and more areas are being closed to the public to create more peace for the deers.

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