Location

• Free-Ranging Populations: These deer are found in parts of Scotland, Ireland, England, France, Denmark, Germany, Austria, and the Czech Republic.
• Captive Populations: They are also kept within fenced game parks across many other European countries.

Description

• Size: This is one of the smaller races of sika deer. Males stand approximately 31 inches (79 cm) at the shoulder and weigh about 105 pounds (48 kg), while females are smaller.
• Coat: The summer coat is reddish-brown with numerous white spots. In winter, it changes to a dark brown (appearing black from a distance) and loses the spots.
• Rump and Tail: The deer has a sharply defined white rump patch that is bisected by a dark, narrow tail stripe.
• Antlers: While record antlers of 28-3/8 inches (72.1 cm) have been documented in Japan, typical lengths are more commonly between 16 and 22 inches (40.6–55.9 cm).

Remarks

• Racial Purity: There is no absolute certainty regarding the racial purity of Japanese sika deer currently found in Europe.