Strange Deer
While the wholesale destruction of deer—by driving not stalking —is being urged, the presence of a deer that is not red or roe or fallow has became generally known through the accidental snaring of a muntjak in a railway fence. I first saw this tiny deer in a small Bedfordshire wood some few years ago and rubbed my eyes. The animal was one of several that had escaped presumably from that great Zoo, Woburn Park. It is probable that some must have bred in the wild, for they appeared in many places and incidentally did a good deal of damage in some market gardens. They are not to be recommended as per- manent additions to our wild fauna, unless it is on the ground that they provide, as I can testify, a better venison than any other species. One of these barking deer, or muntjaks, frequented some bits of woodland near Mr. Bernard Shaw's country house. When he heard of its presence, he asked with his wonted quick wit if it could not be provided with a muntjil.
Previous page
