Hybridisation study between red deer (Cervus elaphus) and sika deer (Cervus nippon) in the Killarney National Park, Ireland

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.