The Sika Deer Unit

Professional Deer Management

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The Sika Deer Unit is committed to the humane and effective management of deer, with the emphasis being on safety at all times.  Management is carried out in accordance with the wishes of landowners to achieve the desired results, whilst complying with all legal requirements and relevant legislation.  The Sika Deer Unit has the experience and expertise necessary to advise on deer management and control for all six UK species of wild deer, as well as for the more exotic species found in some deer parks.

 

 

Sika Deer
Cervus nippon

Sika deer were introduced to Brownsea Island in 1856, swam ashore and colonised the local countryside.

 

Life span
Up to 15 years.

 

Statistics
Shoulder height: 80-120cm, Weight: 40-60kg.

 

Physical Description
Sika deer have a reddish brown coat, with white spots in summer. They have a short white tail and a white rump. The male has four-pointed antlers, which are shed in April or May.

 

Distribution
Sika deer are native to Asia, but they have been introduced to many parks in Europe. In Scotland the Japanese Sika hybridised with Red Deer.

 

Habitat
They inhabit woodland and heathland.

 

Diet
They mainly feed on grasses, sedges and heather, but a small portion of their diet is made up of bark and fungi.

 

Behaviour
Sika deer are most active at dusk and are solitary. During the mating season, males make a loud whistling call that can be heard from 1km away.

 

Reproduction
They mate between August and October. Females give birth to one young after an eight month gestation period. The young are independent after 7-10 months.

 

Conservation status
Sika deer are not listed by the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.

 

Notes
Japanese people consider the sika to be sacred. It is hunted in China for its antlers, which are used in traditional medicine.

 
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