The red deer (Cervus elaphus): majestic wanderer, magnificent antlered animal, sociable herd animal, and bellowing fighter. (Photo: © blickwinkel/C. Huetter, German Wildlife Foundation)
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January 2026
Every year, the German Wildlife Foundation initiates the vote for Germany's Animal of the Year – for 2026, the choice fell on the red deer.
"By naming the red deer the animal of the year 2026, we want to draw attention to a species that is numerous in Germany and even causes conflicts with agriculture and forestry, but at the same time faces major challenges ," says Dr. Andreas Kinser , Head of Nature and Species Conservation at the German Wildlife Foundation , according to which about 220.000 red deer – the species name includes both male and female animals – live in Germany.
Red deer hinds, calves, and young animals live together in herds ; outside of the rutting season (the mating season for wild animals), stags form herds, according to the German Wildlife Foundation. They feel most at home in semi-open landscapes , such as meadows and fields with scattered groups of trees and shrubs.
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In their natural habitats, these animals are increasingly harassed and hunted by humans , which is why they mostly retreat into the forest. There, they eat up to 20 kilograms of plants daily , thus reshaping their involuntarily colonized habitat. This could lead to conflicts with forestry , but it also has positive effects – red deer create small clearings where herbs and grasses grow, providing ideal living conditions for butterflies, wild bees, and wood ants.
Furthermore, the antlers of male red deer, which fall off and then grow back each year, provide squirrels and other rodents with many minerals . In addition, red deer carry seeds of various plants for many kilometers in their fur or excrete them in their feces, thus dispersing them. These migrations also ensure genetic exchange between different red deer populations.
However, these populations often end at highways , railway lines , canals , or due to officially mandated limits on their distribution. "In Baden-Württemberg, for example, red deer are only allowed to inhabit 4 percent of the state's land area. On the remaining 96 percent of this state, hunters are legally obligated to kill every red deer, with very few exceptions. Due to the fragmentation of red deer habitats, the species is losing more and more genetic diversity. Population geneticists are already speaking of the beginning of an extinction process ," the foundation announced.
"To help the red deer, its habitats must be better connected again . We can achieve this, among other things, by building more wildlife overpasses across highways and by ensuring that migrating animals are not hunted," said Kinser. "Only by giving the red deer more space can we succeed in preserving this fascinating species in Germany in the long term."
Further information about the red deer can be found on the website of the German Wildlife Foundation and at rothirsch.org.
I agree to display all external content and to change my cookie settings to 'Allow all cookies'. Learn more in our Privacy Policy.About the voteWhether due to his Danger, the Threat to its habitat or a Human-wildlife conflictSince 2017, donors to the German Wildlife Foundation have been choosing a Animal of the Year, which should be brought to public attention. This year, for the first time, nature enthusiasts were also able to cast their votes in an online election. Source: German Wildlife FoundationDHB now also digital!Simply click here and register for the digital German Crafts Journal (DHB)!
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