У осінні олені вступають у боротьбу за територію
Autumn is the most exciting time of year to watch deer (in the northern hemisphere) as they engage in fierce mating battles. For example in the UK, the three largest species of deer (red, fallow and sika) all rut in the autumn and are easy to watch in parks (even in the center of London!) and in the wild.
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But remember that male deer are pumped full of testosterone and highly aggressive; in parks, attacks on dogs are not uncommon and sometimes people are also injured. So don’t get too close.
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For months leading up to October, sexually mature red deer stags have been preparing for the most important contest of their lives – access to a harem of fertile females. The fight starts vocally, and if this is not enough to ward off a competitor, rivals parallel-walk before locking antlers. Welcome to the red deer rut.
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Rival stags roar then parallel walk to assess their opponent’s size and strength. They may also thrash the ground so that vegetation caught up in their antlers makes them look larger. Fights are a shoving match, with each stag trying to gain the advantage by being uphill.
