The largest herd of deer in the history of the Sayano-Shushensky Nature Reserve seen by expedition members

A herd of deer, consisting of 27 males, was seen on the territory of the Sayano-Shushensky Nature Reserve by members of an expedition conducted jointly with the Khakass Republican Branch of the Russian Geographical Society. This is the largest herd for the entire observation period, the Joint Directorate of the Sayano-Shushensky Nature Reserve and the Shushensky Bor National Park reported on its website.

“We meet deer almost every business trip. Groups ranging from 2 to 13-15 individuals are common. Deer are not afraid of people and always allow you to observe them and take photographs. We saw this herd on the Sayan ridge - such a large group had not previously been recorded in the reserve. On the same day, we saw a herd of 17 females,” said the head of the scientific department, Roman Afanasyev.

In the Sayano-Shushensky Nature Reserve, the number of deer, according to expert estimates, is 450 individuals. The stability and size of the group is facilitated by the strict security regime on the territory of this protected area.

“It is the feeling of safety of their habitats that encourages animals to “communicate” with the Directorate’s employees, which allows them to obtain unique photographs and videos,” the message notes.

Maral is a common species for the Sayano-Shushensky Nature Reserve. It has the classic deer shape: a slender figure and proportional body, a relatively long neck. The head is held high above the line of the back; in males it is decorated with large branched horns, while females are hornless. A characteristic feature of these ungulates is a relatively large yellow “mirror” with an orange tint, extending onto the croup.

Now the deer are in the rutting season.

An indispensable element of their mating season is “battle with trees.” The rut is accompanied by a “roar” - a kind of scream; the full “song” sounds quite drawn out with changes in pitch. Young deer have sounds similar to whining, while older ones have a rougher “song” that often ends with a short bark, the management said.