A Red Deer called Fern

Fern the red deer appears once again for the cameras

At his farm in Wootton Courtenay on Exmoor in Somerset, Trevor Ball introduces the viewer to a red deer who appears in the film Fern, the Red Deer (1976) about a baby fawn who is adopted by a family and then returned to its herd. TV reporter David Rodgers discusses Fern’s role. The film is directed by Jan Darnley-Smith. Tommy the fox also stars. 

The red deer is the fourth largest deer species behind the moose, elk and sambar. In Britain it is the largest land mammal and lives in same sex groups until the autumn rutting season. Red deer migrate to Britain from Europe 11,000 years ago. Deer have been hunted throughout history. The wild deer population is controlled and deer are farmed for venison and kept as an ornamental park species.