Red deer in Polissia
Cervus elaphus
Caution: males can be aggressive during the rut
The red deer is a large, slender deer with reddish-brown fur in summer and grey-brown in winter, a pale patch around the tail and a mane on the neck in males. The males' antlers are spreading, with many tines; they are shed every spring and grow back by autumn.
In Polissia the red deer lives in mixed and broadleaved forests with clearings and water. It was released by hunting estates, so numbers vary from district to district. It occurs in the Chornobyl zone and in Volyn and Zhytomyr Polissia.
The best-known event in the life of red deer is the autumn rut. In September–October the stags roar loudly, gather a harem and fight rivals with their antlers. The roaring can be heard for kilometres, especially at dawn and towards evening.
During the rut, do not approach the stags. It is better to watch from the forest edge, downwind and with binoculars. Shed antlers can be found in the forest in spring, but nothing may be taken out of nature reserves.
When to see: September–October is the rut and roaring season; the rest of the year at dusk in clearings
Where it was seen in Polissia
Observations from the open scientific database GBIF since 1990.
More in “Mammals”
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