 Mick Hoult |
Introduced by the Normans and formerly numerous in the Royal Forest of Duffield Frith.
Current occurrence is based on escapes from deer parks. A feral population
has been established in the Stanton Moor-Bonsall-Darley Dale area since
the 1920s but has shown limited expansion, perhaps due to culling or poaching
(Yalden 2001). There is a well-established population in the south: a census in early 2004 by Bill Cove, NT chief warden at Calke, using thermal imaging equipment revealed a population of 81 in the Calke-Robin Wood-Spring Wood area. Numbers here are expected to grow as tree planting associated with the National Forest proceeds. Vagrants wander widely, particularly in the south of the county and occasional strays from the Dukeries reach NE Derbyshire. Park herds can be seen at a few places, including Chatsworth and the Chestnut Centre near Chapel-en-le-Frith. |