A pair of deer were found on the beach at Fort Victoria in Yarmouth earlier this week, despite their breed not being native to the Isle of Wight.
After receiving a report from a local dog walker via the park ranger that there were 2 deceased Deer – namely a male and female Reeves Muntjac Deer – on the shore at Fort Victoria, speculation grew as to whether they drowned whilst swimming over from the mainland.
Reeves Muntjac Deer are not known on the Island in any great numbers and are not known to be established here, although sightings have been made meaning that 2 washing up on the shoreline is even more confusing.
Neil Reed at the Isle of Wight Reptilarium said:
“Only a few weeks ago we saw a photograph of another deer swimming over to the beach here at Fort Victoria, we assumed that one made landfall and dispersed but it looked bigger than a muntjac. The stretch of sea between Fort Victoria and the Mainland is only 1.5 miles and the deer must think it’s a river and see the trees on the other side and believe they can make a swim for it.
“The other scenario is for some reason these two found themselves in the water on the other side, drowned and the tide carried them. Given the evidence for deer swimming over we think the first scenario is the most likely.
“Sadly these two didn’t make it, upon investigating we could see that one was a young male Muntjac and the other a female. There is often speculation as to how the Island could possibly have wild deer, given we have a deer free status.
Article continues below this advertisement
Not native to the UK, but introduced to Woburn Abbey in Bedfordshire back in the 19th century and subsequent escapes have led to them becoming established in the UK. Since 2019 they have been placed onto the Invasive Alien species list, making it illegal to release them into the wild and can only be kept under licensed conditions.
All sightings of wildlife can be recorded on a website called i-record (https://irecord.org.uk/).
How sad for them both odd though they came to rest in the same place?
Let’s hope our Government updates the Alien species list soon to include more species which threaten to ruin thousands of years of native life here which doesn’t wish to be threatened by unsuitable destructive creatures.
I agree, but it is too late. The Victorians have butchered the UK’s world life in every sense of the word.