Sika deer

Sika deer came to Denmark around 1900, but they originally come from East Asia, China and Japan, and have been given the Latin name “Cervus nippon” – the Japanese deer. Sika deer are very beautiful! In the summer, their fur is reddish brown with white spots – even in adult animals. The life cycle of the sika is similar to that of the red deer Sika deer can be considered a type of small deer. Their life cycle is very similar to that of the red deer, with rut in September/October and calving in May/June. They can be distinguished from each other mainly by their size: sikas weigh between 70 and 90 kg and the red deer between 200 and 250 kg. But the sika also has light spots in their reddish brown fur, where the red deer is solid. Although there is a large difference in size between the two species, they can actually mate and have fertile offspring. But a cross has never taken place in Denmark.