Sunday 9 August 2015

Wanderings and Encounters

"Lost yer way, 'ave yer?" said to me many times as a response to my habitual puzzled look.


There are occasional reports of encounters with deer in the oddest of places including around the inner city. Some of these sightings are late at night after the pubs have closed, but even so a proportion of them must be reliable. The surprise may mirror my experience of having lived most of my life before coming across a wild deer and then it was not truly wild being in a park attached to a stately home, not free wandering like the one on the moor this morning.


There are 'green corridors' around Sheffield and they tend to follow the lines of streams and rivers flowing in the direction of the city; they are wildlife friendly especially at night time. Deer do wander and sometimes it seems to be aimlessly. Individuals may get restless despite being, in the case of the reds, herd animals. It's quite common to see a solitary animal looking unsure of which way to go as I find myself in the supermarket having lost my list.

Most recently I've heard that deer have been seen in the city's General Cemetery quite close to the inner ring road. The report mentioned roe deer but also that a muntjac had been attacked by a dog within the grounds.

I've seen no muntjac as yet on Blacka but they may be around. They are not herd animals and their spread across the country testifies to their wanderings.

This local red went first one way then another as if plucking up courage to ask directions from the locals.


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