He backed up a few meters, while I quickly gathered all my stuff and backed up as well. I know rare cases where stags are harrasing visitors. Though he did not look harmfull, his anthlers were impressive with two sharp pins reaching forward. I did not want a close encounter. So I took more distance and he approached even followed me. Then he stopped to inspect the place where my troll had been standing for minutes.
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| The deer last week, first time he showed up. |
I wondered why he was so fascinated by me. Because other visitors he completely ignored. Maybe I looked like someone that comes here often to feed the squirrels and birds? I decided later to have my go at another place in this huge natural habitat. The deer stayed at his place, but sure has been checking out every spot for food.
The picture I took of him is not very clear, because I was a bit flabbergasted by his appearance. But... I decided to return another time. Yesterday.
The same thing happened. I wasnt even there for a minute and from the unseen he appeared again. I still am amazed how deer can just be invisible in the forest and all quietly can be there within a second.
This time I was not too scared. He came up to the same distance as last time, 4 meters away from me. Curious, stretching out and not loosing contact with me. It was a magical moment this, but a feeling of sadness overcame me. Because I realised this deer was in need. Last year they put up huge fences to prevent the deer to get out of the forest and cause accidents and damage to properties. It is just the short minded vision of our nation. Of course human lives are more important (I don't agree but that is another discussion I will not be having here). Now many deer die. Most people believe it is starvation. Just because the animals die of hunger. But they don't die because of the lack of food. There is food, but they wont eat it. Many deer are not used anymore to find food, since all their lives they have been eating grass in the meadows. They refuse to eat the hard grass and bark in the forest. I took a little bit of dried grass with me I used to give to the horses after ridinglessons. It is chopped and fortified with lucern. It is easy to scatter around so the animals have to follow their nature and do a little work to find it. But this deer didnt eat it. While horses and cows would die for it. This poor animal is obviously one of the many that are only eating the soft grasses from the meadows. And will die like the many other deer in the same situation. And believe me I walked only 2 km and not at all in a straight line, and I saw 3 carcasses, all laying close to the fences. As soon as you get at least a km away from the fences, you won't find as much carcasses as close to it. Most of them are within 100 meter from a fence, and 2 even in the area this guy roams, who knows he has been eating them, because despite of them being vegetarians, they sometimes eat in time of weakness carcasses of dead animals or even fish. They know instinctively that this source of proteins keeps them going in times of need. But yet they don't know about eating harsher grasses... I simply believe those deer die primary because of these fences. It is tragic, because I know this deer that catches my heart here will also die very soon, if he is not going to get used to eat other sources. And I will be devastated to find him dead if that happens. Even if he does make attempts to eat whatever this forest offers, it is by far not enough to keep him alive. The pictures shows it all... I hope soon the greens will sprout giving him at least something he wants to eat. Before it is too late.... I know new generations of deer will be able to find their own food here, it is a time issue. I hope it is...
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| Skinny... he lost all his spare fat. But it is normal in winter, I must say. Still I worry... |
So, it was a very short but impressive walk this time. I wanted more but I suffer my ankle :-( I cannot walk long distances currently, which I hate because soon I will go to Iceland. And last thing I want is to be lame. With the only good thing, that I noticed Icelandic Horses are rather 'easy' to ride without stirrups so I don't have to risk cancelling my tour. I would ask for a bombproof horse and go. And hope I wont fall in the waters ;-)
