The hot summer that europe is experiencing is also affecting wildlife, which is seeking out cool oases, as evidenced by the playful behavior of a deer captured on camera in the Apuseni Mountains in Romania.
Enjoying the Cold Water
The images of this charming animal were posted on social media by Romsilva, accompanied by the message “A mischievous and friendly deer, eager to splash around, puts on a true show in front of the wildlife monitoring camera installed in a forest of the Apuseni Natural Park.”
The deer is an herbivorous animal adapted to mountainous areas, but it can also be found in hilly regions. It is sociable from autumn to spring, a time when males gather in herds. Only older and particularly strong males tend to live solitary lives.
Herds form based on vocalizations and break apart after the snow melts, around the end of April.
A Destination of Excellence
The Apuseni Natural Park, one of the 22 national and natural parks managed by the National Forest Administration (Romsilva), covers an impressive 76,064 hectares in the Apuseni Mountains, spanning the counties of Cluj, Bihor, and Alba, of which 50,793 hectares are forests.
The Apuseni Mountains area, which includes the Apuseni Natural Park, was recognized by the CNN as one of the most beautiful places in Europe, and in 2009, the European Commission awarded the Apuseni Natural Park the title of "European Destination of Excellence" as part of the EDEN project.
