With permanently spotted coats, Axis Deer are considered one of the most beautiful deer in the world and across Asia also the most successful. Whereas other species have declined due to hunting and habitat loss, Axis Deer populations are currently more stable, however, their future depends on the security of protected habitats.

A species of deer now exists only in captivity, however there may be the possibility of establishing free-ranging populations as numbers increase. A breeding programme was started at Woburn Abbey Estate using the last 18 members of the species at the beginning of the 20th century. This ultimately saved the species after years of hunting and habitat loss in China had decimated numbers. Their natural habitat is thought to have been marshy, often flooded grasslands where they feed on reeds, grass and leaves. Known as Milu in China, they were said to be 4 different animals put together, having the neck of a camel, the tail of a donkey, the feet of a cow and the antlers of a stag while not quite

This species of deer has a wide distribution in the far northern tundra and taiga areas of Europe, Siberia, North America and Canada. It is the only species of deer to be domesticated by the nomadic Sami people, and they are the only species where both males and females grow antlers. Reindeer have large, flat, almost circular hooves which act like snow shoes while walking across the tundra, and they also use them to shovel through the snow to find food underneath. They have many inbuilt heating systems and a thick, double layered coat to keep out the harsh arctic cold. Feeding on herbs, lichens, sedges and funghi, they occupy tundra and boreal forest habitats.

Hog deer is named as such due to the similarities in their appearance and behaviour to wild pigs. With short, stocky bodies, raised hindquarters and head held low, they characteristically rush through thick vegetation or into water to escape from threats. Close bonds exist between mothers and offspring, however they are otherwise solitary and will scatter when threatened rather than herding together. The species has suffered catastrophic declines due to hunting for antlers and meat, as well as habitat loss and degradation. Over 90% of their population was lost between 1991 and 2012, they are now very fragmented across their range and

deer species which adapt well to different habitats and diets. Although normally wary of people, they are considered sacred in Japan and the protection this offers them has led to them openly approaching and feeding from humans. Morphing from a rich chestnut spotted summer coat to a dark brown-black appearance in autumn, the high-pitched screams and whistles of rutting Sika stags can be heard up to 1km away. Outside of the rut, they are typically solitary. Whilst native to Japan and China, Sika have also been introduced to Europe, the USA and New Zealand. UK populations are high, particularly in Scotland, and they frequently cross-breed with

The red deer is one of only two species of deer which are native to the UK. Once predominantly a woodland creature, they have adapted to open hillsides after mass deforestation across their range, particularly the Scottish Highlands. Much of the red deer’s native range stretches across Europe to the Middle East and even parts of North Africa. The red deer is the UK’s largest land mammal and numbers have soared after the extinction of native top predators such as the wolf. They are an iconic species and the yearly