I see Reeves' Muntjac occasionally on my St. Nicholas Church local patch site adjacent to where I live and sometimes hear them "barking" from my flat.
This morning, I was woken up by a "barking" Reeves' Muntjac in close proximity to my flat and presumably in the nearby wooded area.
Reeves' Muntjac is a small, hump-backed deer species (a bit larger than a fox) native to south east China. It is named after British naturalist and employee of the East India Company, John Russell Reeves (1774 to 1856). Reeves came across them when he lived in China and sent specimens back to England. Introduced to Woburn Park in Bedfordshire in 1894, it was deliberately released into surrounding woodlands from 1901 onward. Releases, translocations and escapes from the 1930s onwards resulted in wide establishment in south east England and the population is still increasing and spreading across the UK. The Reeves' Muntjac can be found in deciduous woodland with a good understorey plus hedgerows, gardens, parks, conifer plantations, railway embankments, etc.
Here is a sound recording of a "barking" Reeves' Muntjac and a photo from my St. Nicholas Church local patch site.
Stay safe, stay well, stay strong, stay connected with nature
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