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Helpston's wildlife

Muntjac deer

The muntjac is a small deer that originates from south Asia. It was first brought to Britain in 1838 by John Russell Reeves, but the current population probably stems from introductions by the Duke of Bedford in 1900.

The muntjac is the smallest deer in England and is now a common feature of the natural world around Helpston. It can often be seen crossing the main rides in Southey and Royce woods or scuttling into the woods alongside Heath Road. From time to time it turns up in the village itself, one got stuck in the railings of a gate on Heath Road one Christmas day in the 1990s.

Even more often the muntjac can be heard barking at night from Royce Wood [click to listen].

One reason for the success of the muntjac and its rapid spread across England is that the does can conceive within days of fawning and may give birth every seven months. Unlike native British deer there is no set breeding season.