Deer Facts & Figures
Red Deer
- Part of the natural biodiversity of the Cairngorms since the end of the last Ice Age;
- Currently over 25,000 red deer occur within the Park on moorland and in forests;
- Stalking red deer helps sustain significant numbers of jobs within the Park;
- Deer grazing prevents some natural heritage objectives from being achieved, eg the expansion of native woodlands to achieve wider biodiversity objectives;
- The management of red deer requires careful planning to balance the benefits of jobs with the costs of damage.
Roe Deer
- Roe deer are part of our natural biodiversity;
- Roe are found in a variety of habitats including woodland, moorland and are often resident on farmland;
- Roe are increasingly colonising gardens and towns;
- Stalking roe deer generates income for land managers;
- Roe browsing probably prevents broad leaved trees from establishing in some pinewoods in the Park;
- Roe deer generally create far less controversy than red deer.
Sika Deer
- A non-native species introduced from Japan and mainland Asia in the 1890s;
- Sika can hybridise with red deer to produce fertile offspring;
- Sika are resident as a breeding population in the Park, west of the Spey
- Sika stags are occasionally seen east of the River Spey but sika have not been recorded as a breeding species in the central core of the Cairngorms;
- Deer managers are working hard to prevent colonisation east of the River Spey.
Reindeer
- Extinct as a wild animal in Britain for over 7000 years;
- A semi-domesticated herd was introduced to the Cairngorms in 1952;
- This herd is stable at about 130-150 animals;
- The reindeer range over a wide area but are regularly handled and supplementary fed;
- The herd is a significant tourist attraction and the animals create few negative impacts.
Red deer, Sika stag, Reindeer photographs - courtesy of Colin McLean
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