The Wood Nymph


I encountered this beautiful Roe deer doe in woodland, at the end of a hot July day, just as the rutting season was beginning. Moments earlier, a passing train had given the deer a terrible fright; little did she know, an invader of the forest was tracking her with a super-telephoto lens. Upon spotting me, the doe tentatively walked closer, out of natural curiosity, before turning around and melting into the trees. Deer are natural experts at working out the behaviour of nearby animals. While deer are quite at ease, when humans are clod hopping about the forest, chattering away as normal, they will paradoxically become far more alert, should any humans try to camouflage their presence. Deer are genetically programmed to identify any animal trying not to draw attention to itself, as a predator.

Wood Nymph

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