We have a pair of Muntjac who have started reglarly visiting our garden and grazing on various plants and windfalls for a short time.
Thanks for any advice
John
Know very little about these.According to defra.."Muntjac feed mainly by browsing and prefer rich foods such as flowers, nuts, berries and fungi".So I suppose they eat all year round.A quick search of the internet will show the usual views about invasive non-native species.
You could always write to the Duke of Bedford!
I have just come across this which might help if you want to feed them, I think they are pretty good at helping themselves except for in the very depths of winter
"Muntjac deer need to be provided with fresh water and a salt stone. They are easy to feed and will eat almost any vegetables and almost all other types of plant matter as well. If you have a garden you can allow them to feed on grass and other plants but make sure to fence in any flowers or bushed you care about or they might get eaten. Muntjac deer also love bread and other carbohydrate rich food. They can be fed leftovers from the dinner table. Feeding them at the table will however teach them to beg." found it on this website www.aquaticcommunity.com/MuntjacDeers
Caroline in Jersey
Cin J
Thanks for the replies with links and kind comments about the photo. This is the female by the way.
I have tried to take others but they are so aware of any movement or noise in the house. The slightest thing spooks them and they're off! This shot was taken 6ft back from an upstairs window.
I've done some additional searching on the net and have found some other info too. If I get more photos, I'll post them.
For more detail about their origins, life-cycle & habits look at the British Deer Society website. They are fascinating to watch but probably shouldn’t be encouraged by feeding. They can damage native woodland by overgrazing, and following their introduction to, and spread across, the UK they have been classified as an invasive species.