sika stag at mullacor

Many of Ireland's native mammal species live in the Glendalough valley but of these the largest and most conspicious is probably the deer. Most deer occupying the valley are of the 'Sika' species which were introduced to Ireland from Asia around the mid 18th century and tend to live in or near the coniferous plantations. Our other species, the Red Deer, were re-introduced to Wicklowalso around the mid-18th century and over time have succeeded in hybriding with the smaller Sika species. It is now thought that the Red Deer no longer exist in Wicklow as a distinct population in the wild. Hybrid Red & Sika Deer are often seen in early morning or late evening at the Upper lake marsh, where if you remain still, you may get good views of them feeding on the rich lakeshore vegitation.