Sika

Sika hind in summer coat

Sika deer were successfully introduced to New Zealand in 1905 via stock from Woburn Abbey Park in England. They were released at Poronui station in the central North Island. Sika are originly from east Asia where the inhabit mixed deciduous forests to the north, and mixed subtropical deciduous and evergreen forests to the south. In New Zealand they have adapted well to the mountains in the central North Island. Here they inhabit both forest and open grassy/alpine terrain. This includes thick Manuka scrub and Beech forest. During spring and summer they regularly leave the cover of the forest to feed in the open. Sika have a reddish chestnut brown colour coat with white/cream speckles in summer and a dark charcoal in winter. They also have a white rump. A trophy head has eight points and the rut occurs in april/may/june with most intensity in april. They are a very vocal deer and will vocalise with a short high pitched squeel as an alert through out the year in addition to the mating calls they use during the rut. The roar of the Sika is much more high pithched than that of the Red deer. 

Roaring stag with hind in their winter coat

Sika distribution

Summer Sika stag in velvet

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