“How not to judge a deer by its cover”: a personality assessment study on captive adult red deer males (Cervus elaphus)
Personality is not a uniquely human characteristic and it has been documented in a wide range of organisms, from mammals to birds, reptiles, fish and invertebrates. However, personality is still poorly understood in Cervids. Therefore, our study aimed to fill this gap by i) investigating personality and ii) exploring its links to dominance hierarchy, assessed […]
Efficacy and Animal Welfare Impacts of Novel Capture Methods for Two Species of Invasive Wild Mammals in New Zealand
All capture methods impose animal welfare impacts, but these impacts are rarely quantified or reported. We present data from two wildlife capture studies that trialled new methods for capturing Bennett’s wallabies (Notamacropus rufogriseus) and red deer (Cervus elaphus) in New Zealand. We used helicopter net-gunning for both species, and compared this method with ground-based netting […]
Effects of stocking density on the behaviour and growth of farmed red deer hinds
The aim of this experiment was to measure the effects of stocking density on the social behaviour, activity patterns and growth rates of yearling red deer hinds reared at pasture. Twenty individuals were assigned to two groups of 10 in a latin square design. During period 1 (28 days), group 1 was kept at a […]
Sex differences in weather sensitivity can cause habitat segregation: red deer as an example
Sex differences in habitat use (habitat segregation) are widespread in sexually dimorphic ungulates. A possible cause is that males are more sensitive to weather than females, leading to sex differences in sheltering behaviour (the [`]weather sensitivity hypothesis’). However, this hypothesis has never been tested. We considered the allometric rates of net energy gain during times […]
Bivariate versus multivariate analyses of sexual selection in red deer
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Relationship between rank and plasma testosterone and cortisol in red deer males (Cervus elaphus)
The objective of this study was to assess the effect of a change in the social composition in a group of red deer males on the relationship between their rank and testosterone. A group of twelve adult red deer males (Cervus elaphus) was tested in two social settings. From April 15 to June 9 (Period […]
Physiological Responses of Red Deer (Cervus elaphus) to Conditions Experienced during Road Transport
Waas, J. R., J. R. Ingram and L. R. Matthews. Physiological responses of red deer (Cervus elaphus) to conditions experienced during road transport. Physiol Behav 61(6) 931-938, 1997.–Remote heart rate and blood sampling devices were attached to transported red deer stags to assess the effects of several road transport parameters on physiological responses associated with […]
Comparison of effects of different methods of culling red deer (Cervus elaphus) by shooting on behaviour and post mortem measurements of blood chemistry, muscle glycogen and carcase characteristics
Methods for culling wild red deer (Cervus elaphus) were compared by observing behaviour and collecting post mortem samples from wild deer shot: (i) by a single stalker during daytime; (ii) by more than one stalker during daytime; (iii) by using a helicopter for the deployment of stalkers and carcase extraction; or (iv) by a single […]
Calf site selection by red deer (Cervus Elaphus) from three contrasting habitats in north-west England: Implications for welfare and management
This study (1978-93) was concerned with calf site selection by red deer from three contrasting areas (two deer parks and one deer farm) of north-west England. It arose from initial (1960s-70s) concern over poor recruitment and the high incidence of ‘abandoned’ calves (at one site), and increasing levels of public disturbance in Lyme Park and […]
Welfare implications of culling red deer (Cervus Elaphus)
In southwestern England, red deer, Cervus elaphus, are culled by rifle (‘stalking’) or by hunting with hounds (‘hunting’). We compare the welfare costs of the two culling methods. Observations of hunts revealed that likely stressors such as close proximity to humans and hounds, active pursuit, noise, obstruction and physical restraint prior to despatch were very […]