Fallow Deer (Dama dama)
Fallow deer are the small, spotted deer often seen in large groups on deer farms as you travel along country roads. In that semi-domesticated situation, they bear little resemblance to free-roaming fallow deer which have the alertness and bearing of all the natural prey species that have learned how to survive and prosper in the wild by constant awareness of their surroundings. Mature fallow bucks stand about 90cm at the shoulder and weigh approximately 90kg. Does are much smaller and lighter, standing about 76cm and weighing only about 40kg. Colour varies considerably in fallow deer and ranges from the common or ‘red’ fallow deer, through the black or melanistic fallow, to animals which are creamy white.
Present Situation
Fallow are one of the most abundant and wide-spread species of deer in Australia.There is a very strong population in Tasmania where large areas of ideal habitat consisting of undulating grassland broken by areas of hardwood forest provide excellent feed and cover. In New South Wales, fallow deer are found in the Glen Innes area and, further south, near Lake George in the ACT. Queensland’s fallow deer are located near the border with New South Wales in the Stanhope/Warwick area of the Southern Highlands.
Fallow deer are the small, spotted deer often seen in large groups on deer farms as you travel along country roads. In that semi-domesticated situation, they bear little resemblance to free-roaming fallow deer which have the alertness and bearing of all the natural prey species that have learned how to survive and prosper in the wild by constant awareness of their surroundings. Mature fallow bucks stand about 90cm at the shoulder and weigh approximately 90kg. Does are much smaller and lighter, standing about 76cm and weighing only about 40kg. Colour varies considerably in fallow deer and ranges from the common or ‘red’ fallow deer, through the black or melanistic fallow, to animals which are creamy white.
Present Situation
Fallow are one of the most abundant and wide-spread species of deer in Australia.There is a very strong population in Tasmania where large areas of ideal habitat consisting of undulating grassland broken by areas of hardwood forest provide excellent feed and cover. In New South Wales, fallow deer are found in the Glen Innes area and, further south, near Lake George in the ACT. Queensland’s fallow deer are located near the border with New South Wales in the Stanhope/Warwick area of the Southern Highlands.