Short deer on the rise

THERE is something magical about a quiet evening out in the fields, seeing the world go to bed while the creatures of the night start to wake up.

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From thickets and woodlands, roe deer emerge into clearings to feast on grasses in the calmness of dusk. This has been the case in the UK as long as there have been deer, as they are one of only two native species here.

We now have six species roaming about, but it never hurts to shine a light on those who have been with us the longest.

Roe deer are the smallest native deer, at about 65cm tall at the shoulder. As far as deer who live here now, the water deer and muntjac (originally from China) are both smaller.