Fallow deer, female, Blue Mountains,
Southland

Wild populations of deer can be found throughout New Zealand, with the exception of Northland and Taranaki. These animals are the descendants of deer that were imported and liberated here from 1851.

Fallow deer were introduced from 1860 and are now found in many low-altitude forests, partly the result of farm escapes.

Some of the more extensive herds can be found in the Caples and Greenstone Valleys and the Blue Mountains in the South Island and around Wanganui in the North Island.