University of Edinburgh - When stags sag

Wild red deer stags, which roam the Highlands of Scotland, slip suddenly into decrepitude in old age, a study has found. Research at the University of Edinburgh found that though male red deer retain their youthful vitality for longer than females, when old age catches up with stags they decline rapidly. After ten years of age, stags quickly become less likely to father calves, while hinds show signs of old age a year earlier. The study analysed data collected over 40 years on more than 1,000 deer on the Isle of Rum.