Animals you may be lucky to see and hear

1. Fallow Deer (Dama dama)

A ruminant belonging to the deer family. In many ways, it resembles the red deer but is more adaptable and less shy. The fallow deer is therefore easy to tame and is found in many wildlife parks, where it is possible to get very close to it. In summer, the fallow deer is usually reddish-brown with white spots on its back, a light belly and legs, and a dark dorsal stripe. Brown, black, and white specimens also exist. In winter, they become grayish-brown without spots. The fallow deer has a shoulder height of 75–100 cm and a tail length of 15–20 cm. Stags weigh about 60–100 kg, while does weigh around 35–50 kg. They can live up to 16 years.The antlers, carried only by the stags, are broad and palm-shaped with tines along the back edge. The fallow deer feeds mainly on grass and leaves from deciduous trees in summer, and on nuts, berries, and bark in winter.

2. Pygmy Goat “Petting Goats” (Capra hircus domestica)

The pygmy goat descends from the bezoar goat, ancestor of more than 400 goat breeds. Of these, the African pygmy goat is the smallest. The bezoar goat was domesticated in the Middle East and Turkey about 8,000–9,000 years ago.

The goat is also called “the poor man’s cow” because it is very hardy and survives on low-energy food. Its milk, meat, and skin have made it a popular livestock animal in many countries. It is especially common in the Middle East and Africa but can be found worldwide. The species is not threatened. Males weigh 30–45 kg, females 20–25 kg. Height: about 64 cm.

3. Red Squirrel (Sciurus vulgaris)

Also called the red squirrel, it is a rodent in the squirrel family with a body length of around 22 cm. Its large tail measures about 17 cm.

It is common in Denmark and appears in red, brown, and black color variants.

4. Bat (Chiroptera)

An order of relatively small flying mammals. It is the only mammal capable of true flight. Bats rest hanging upside down from vertical surfaces or branches using their claws. They are generally nocturnal and navigate either by sight or by echolocation.

A bat gives birth to only one pup a year. Each night, a bat consumes no fewer than 2,000–3,000 insects. They can be seen and heard here in the  park after dark.

5. Badger (Meles meles)

A sturdy carnivore of the weasel family, widespread throughout Europe. The badger was Denmark’s largest land predator until the return of the wolf. It is most common in eastern Jutland. Easily recognized by its characteristic white stripe across its head and robust body. It does not hibernate but may sleep for several days at a time.

It measures 60–70 cm plus a 15–20 cm tail, and can weigh up to 20 kg. The badger is protected. It eats berries and small animals but prefers earthworms and moles.

6. Common Kestrel (Falco tinnunculus)

Lives in grasslands, heaths, airports, and other open areas with suitable nesting sites and abundant prey. It feeds on rodents, small birds, and insects. Often hovers at 8–40 meters. It does not build its own nest but uses hollow trees, nest boxes, or old crow nests.

Length: 30–35 cm, wingspan: 70–75 cm. Narrow wings and long tail. Underside pale with dark spots; body light brownish to yellowish. Male’s tail and rump are blue-gray with a broad black tip; female’s tail is brown with dark crossbands. Back brown with black spots, black flight feathers.

Here in the Park, only one kestrel pair can fit. A nesting box has been placed for them.

7. Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos)

A dabbling duck and the most common duck in Denmark. It breeds in wetlands and often gathers in flocks. Feeds on aquatic plants and small animals.The drake in breeding plumage (October–May) has a gray body, green head, white neck ring, and brown chest. The female is brown and camouflaged.

Lifespan: 5–10 years. Weight: 0.7–1.6 kg. Clutch size: 8–13 ducklings. Wingspan: 81–98 cm.

8. Tawny Owl (Strix aluco)

A medium-sized owl with entirely black eyes. Plumage varies from grayish to reddish-brown. Length: 37–39 cm; wingspan: 94–104 cm. Males weigh 330–440 g, females 420–590 g.

The owl’s famous melancholic hoot is used to defend its territory. It also uses a “ki-vik” call to communicate with a mate or confront neighbors. Nocturnal, it hunts mainly mice but also other rodents, moles, hedgehogs, squirrels, weasels, worms, insects, and small birds. Breeds very early, sometimes already in late February. Lays 2–6 eggs, incubation about 30 days.

It is the most common owl in Denmark. In Hadsund Deer Park, tawny owls are present, with two nest boxes set up for them.

9. European Hedgehog (Erinaceus europaeus)

A mammal found in Denmark and Western Europe. Often lives in small woods or gardens and is nocturnal. Recognizable by the spines on its back. It hibernates in winter.

An adult measures 23–30 cm, with a short tail, and weighs 800–1,000 g. Spines are 20–30 mm long and about 1 mm thick. An adult hedgehog has up to 7,000 spines. Newborns have about 90 soft spines.

10. Sika Deer (Cervus nippon)

Originally from Asia. Its coat changes between summer and winter. The thick winter coat grows in September/October and is shed in May/June. In winter, stags are dark gray to black with a mane on the neck, while hinds are grayish. Summer coat is reddish-brown with white spots along the back.

Body length: 125–145 cm, shoulder height: 79–81 cm, weight: 27–55 kg—slightly smaller than the fallow deer. Stags bear antlers from August/September to April/May.

The sika feeds exclusively on plants, eating whatever is available depending on season and habitat. Mainly grasses and herbs, but also shoots, buds, bark, fungi, acorns, and beechnuts.

11. European Green Woodpecker (Picus viridis)

Lives year-round in a small area. In Denmark, found mainly in Jutland. In Hadsund Deer Park, there are two breeding pairs, which are rarely seen. Prefers open landscapes and woodlands. Recognizable by its green-yellow plumage.

Wingspan: 40–42 cm; length: 32 cm; weight: 180–220 g. Maximum age: 15 years. Clutch size: 5–7 eggs. Incubation: 17–19 days.

12. 1 Red Fox (Vulpes vulpes)

Resembles a small dog with a pointed snout and reddish or rusty-brown fur. Typical is the long, bushy tail with a white tip.

The fox has fully adapted to urban environments, where food is abundant and it is not hunted. Outside cities, most foxes live in farmland interspersed with forests. Here they find rodents, small birds, insects, fruits, and berries to eat, as well as suitable places to dig dens—including here in the Deer Park.