FLIGHT RESPONSES OF PARK FALLOW DEER TO THE HUMAN OBSERVER

The flight response of fallow deer (Dama dama) towards human observers was studied in an enclosed population using fixed transects. Groups t ook flight less often when in open habitats, in large group sizes and at high distances from the transect. Flight was also less common where human activity was higher. This effect was marked, probably because t he study was carried out in an enclosure where disturbance was frequen t, regular and predictable. We suggest that these results may indicate that the flight response of fallow deer depends on the level of secur ity provided by their immediate environment and their habituation to h uman presence. In addition, we observed that female groups took flight more often than other group types, possibly due to differences in eco logical strategy whereby protection of young is a high priority for fe males. One of the most striking features of our results was the high i nter-individual variability in flight response. This emphasises the ne ed for individual-based behavioural studies. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.