This selection of Irish animals, native or introduced, is taken from the Appletree Press title Animals of Ireland. There will be a number of extracts from the book in coming months. The book contains highly detailed full colour illustrations to complement the detailed explanatory text.

Sika Deer
Cervus nippon
Fia Seapánach

This deer is a recent introduction from its country of origin, Japan. The first herd to be established was at Powerscourt, County Wicklow in the middle of the 19th century. They have since spread to wooded areas in Leinster and are now also found in parts of Munster and the border counties. In places they are common and widespread as in Wicklow and they have continued to hybridise with Red deer (difficult to imagine in view of the size and other differences between the two species, but nevertheless true). Their propensity to mate with wild Red deer has given rise to the belief that, apart from in parts of Kerry, Ireland's native strain is no longer to be found anywhere in the country.

In Ireland the Sika is found mainly in the coniferous plantations and feeds mainly on a variety of grasses in the 'ride lines' and other clearings. Tree shoots are also eaten and the Sika has gained a bad reputation with foresters for its habit of chewing the bark of pines and spruces to sample the mineral-rich inner bark.

Though it is roughly the same size and weight as the Fallow, the Sika is more reminiscent of a diminutive Red than a Fallow. It is a stockier animal, having little of the graceful proportions of the other species. The stag's antlers are branched like those of the Red but lack the majestic appearance of the latter. Some hybrids, however, have impressive spreads. The coat is warm brown in summer and is liberally covered with creamy spots. In winter the coat is dark brown. In all seasons the rump patch and tail are white – obviously different from that of the Fallow and Red. In addition there is a small whitish patch on the back of the hind legs which is helpful in long-distance identification.

As with other deer, the mating season is in late autumn, the stag rounding up his harem of hinds in the usual fashion. His call is a loud, piercing whistle often followed by a grunt – quite different from other deer. About half a dozen hinds are serviced by the stag during the rut. The calf is born in early summer and stays with the hind for a year after which it either remains with the females or joins up with the stags, depending on its sex.

Many Sika are shot annually in an effort to control their numbers and to maintain the virility of the strain. In recent years deer shooting on a commercial basis is thought to be seriously depleting the overall numbers.

Other Large Mammals from Animals of Ireland include:
Connemara Pony |
Fallow Deer |
Feral Goat |
Red Deer