Persian Fallow Deer - conservation programme close to Babenhausen

Persian or Mesopotamian Fallow Deer were widespread in Northern Africa and near east during the last ice age. Today, the stag is one of the least known animals that almost died out around the 20th century. During an expedition of Georg von Opel to Iran in 1958 he took three animals to Kronberg to the Opel Zoo (60 km away from Babenhausen). In the wild the species was considered extinct. Through targeted breeding, there are currently 300 animals worldwide, including some in semi-wild keeping in their original homeland. Since 2013 the official studbook in run at Kronberg Zoo and so is the management of the breeding programme.

Nico

In summer the deer present a characteristic reddish colour. Picture: Joachim S.Müller, https://www.flickr.com/photos/joachim_s_mueller/3677129221, CC BY-NC-SA 2.0