Animal of the Year

We see the white rump patches only in winter, in summer these hairs are brown. Photo: Tarmo Mikussaar

How many roe deer live in Estonia? This apparently simple question is difficult to answer if not downright impossible. Of the data in the graphs we can only use the big peaks and lows for calculations. Why is that?

This winter brings only pleasure for roe deer. Thick, layered snow does not prevent movements nor make it difficult to get at food.  Digging a sleeping place needs no hard work either. Unlike elks, roe deer must not sleep on snow, only on the ground. Otherwise health problems quickly arrive. Pneumonia or diarrhoea would very probably mean that the next spring will remain unseen.

The Year of the Badger has ended but here is a recent trail camera image of badgers. The snow has come and gone, and come and gone again this year in Valgamaa. At most there was about 10 cm of it. At  present there is no snow and it seems as if the sleep of badgers has vanished with the snow. From January 23rd they have come out of the burrow every evening  at about 7 o’clock to go on their badgers’ business.

Kalmer Lehepuu

In  the  "Osoon" programme  in ETV on Monday renowned wildlife photographer Remo Savisaar talked about the making of his best roe deer photos.

With hunter Priit Vahtramäe"Osoon" also visited the salt lick block in the place from where we soon should see the first images from the roe deer online camera.

Posted by the Animal of the Year Team 31.12.2016

At Soosaare there was plenty of activity in the last week of the year. Badgers as well as raccoon dogs were out. The badgers made longer trips in the forest near the sett as in the previous week. The raccoon dogs were bolder too and seemed to move quite at the heels of the hosts.