| Muntjac Deer |
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The Muntjac Deer can be found skulking around often into people's gardens in the Pelhams.
An unspecified species of muntjac was introduced to the grounds of Woburn Abbey in Bedfordshire in the nineteenth century by the then Duke of Bedford. While a small number are reported as escaping, it is extremely unlikely that they are the source of the current UK population.
I photographed this one running through the fields between Furneux and Brent Pelham. Larger numbers of muntjac escaped from Whipsnade Zoo, and they are the more likely ancestors, in addition to other releases. Since the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, it has been illegal to release the species except where already established. Muntjac colonies exist throughout England below Derbyshire, and the population continues to grow. It is thought that they will soon become the UK's most numerous deer. Some sources say that the deer seen in the Pelhams is the Reeves Muntjac Deer (or Chinese Muntjac). |
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