A large herd of fallow deer reside in Grapeland. A native of Eurasia, the most common color is fawn with mottled spots ...
... although white ...
... and even chocolate or black are present.
Only bucks have antlers, and the racks are stunning.
The addax is also known as the white antelope or the screwhorn antelope. It is extremely rare in its native habitat of the Sahara region of Northern Africa and has been classified as a critically endangered species, which is predominantly due to unregulated hunting in North Africa.
This group of eland stuck together and away from the other animals around the pond. Their native habitat is the plains and savannas of Eastern and Southern Africa. On the conservation index they rank in the category of "least concern." It's good to know there are actually some animals that are not endangered.
Aoudad mom with lamb twins.
The auodad is a native of North Africa but has been introduced in other parts of the world, including the Southwestern United States. It is often called Barbary sheep.
Elk cooling off in the pond.
A young sika deer is just waiting for a beautiful rack of antlers to crown his head. Sika deer are native to Asia and are also called Japanese deer.
The scimitar-horned oryx is now extinct in the wild. It previously ranged over Northern Africa. It is also known as the Sahara oryx. Its numbers began to decline because of climate change and it was also hunted extensively for its horns. The myth of the unicorn may have originated from sightings of a scimitar oryx with a broken horn.
Tomorrow: Feeding the animals
11 comments:
they all look healthy and content.
they are all magnificent.. the antlers are just so beautiful on all of them, different sizes and shapes. i love the spotted baby
Grapeland? Funny name; wonderful animal photos.
Wonderful collection of animals with antlers. It must be a challenge to keep their balance with antlers on their heads.
Magnificent creatures. Your photos are really great Kathy. You got up close with them.
Mersad
Mersad Donko Photography
More gorgeous photos. This looks like a place that is well worth visiting.
What a great place to take pictures! I wonder how they accumulated all those exotic animals.
Loving all these animals.
What a treasure of a place! Your photos of the animals are all quite wonderful!
Wonderful shot. I like the shot of the bucks with their antlers.
Wonderful, informative post! I love the chocolate colored fallow deer! How sad the oryx is extinct in the wild! At least there are some in captivity. You got great photos of them all. When we lived in Ledbetter, I would occasionally see deer in the field beyond my kitchen window. Once I looked out and there was a ibex. Another time, a big horned ram. I know there are a lot of exotic animal farms in Texas, but it made me sad that these had escaped, maybe never to be caught by their "owners" and eventually die far from where God intended them to be. I hope this wild animal safari park has really sturdy fences!
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