| dc.description.abstract | The red deer (Cervus elaphus) is widespread throughout Europe and holds significant cultural,
sacred, and economic value. On the IUCN Red List, it belongs to the Least Concern category.
However, small populations with lower genetic diversity are particularly vulnerable. Various
human impacts can further endanger these animals, such as poaching and hybridisation with
invasive species. Current research suggests that during the Younger Dryas period, red deer either
became extinct in Ireland or survived only as a remnant population, traces of which remain in
today’s Killarney herd. For this reason, protecting the local herd is important, especially since its
genetic integrity is constantly threatened by the presence of sika deer (Cervus nippon), which are
capable of hybridizing with them. | en_US |
