Rare deer born at RZSS Highland Wildlife Park

28/06/2016 in Highland Wildlife Park

Keepers at RZSS Highland Wildlife Park have recently welcomed a rare Bukhara deer fawn to its herd in the Cairngorms. The male fawn was born at the beginning of June to mother Mariam/Almaty and has yet to be named.

The Wildlife Park is home to the only breeding herd of Bukhara deer in the UK and currently has a small herd of six animals. This deer species is an endangered sub-species of the red deer, threatened by habitat degradation, logging and poaching.

Morag Stellar, Head Hoofed Stock Keeper at RZSS Highland Wildlife Park, said: “The young fawn is doing well and is already growing quickly. Whilst he may still be small, he has no problems keeping up with his mother and the rest of the herd, as deer are always quick to get to their feet and run after birth 

“Bukhara deer were once at the brink of extinction, but as a result of captive populations and successful reintroductions back into the wild, this species is once again thriving in its native habitat. This is why the birth of this young calf is so significant, as he will go on to help bolster the captive population of this rare deer species.” 

Bukhara deer are related to red deer and American elk and are native to central Asia, found in Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan and possibly Afghanistan. Bukhara deer were once one of the most threatened mammal species after populations and range started to diminish greatly in the 1970s and 1980. By 1998 to 1999 only 350 deer were left in the wild; however, as a result of conservation efforts to reintroduce this species and to restore their natural habitat, Bukhara deer now number over 1,400 animals in the wild. Whilst the reintroduction of this deer has been successful, their population numbers are still low, which is why the captive breeding of Bukhara deer remains important to their survival.