Ireland was once home to deer with massive 12-foot antlers

[Judi Lynn]

Megaloceros giganteus was an Ice Age wonder.

BY LAURA BAISAS | PUBLISHED MAR 16, 2024 2:00 PM EDT



Commonly called the ‘Irish elk,” these deer weighed upwards of 1,500 pounds. This specimen is currently housed at the National Museum of Ireland in Dublin. Paolo Viscardi, CC BY-SA 4.0


Ireland may not be home to any snakes, but the island’s actual natural past and present is still bustling with other wildlife. It’s currently home to 40 species of land and marine mammals, 12,000 species of insects, and more than 400 bird species. Fearsome wolves used to roam the forests of Ireland, before being hunted into extinction by 1786 These wolves were likely a primary predator of one of the larger players of Irish natural history–the extinct giant deer (Megaloceros giganteus), more commonly known as the Irish elk.

More:
https://www.gbnews.com/news/world/ancient-shipwreck-from-5000-years-ago-among-stunning-findings

[Easterncedar]

1. I've seen them

At some castle. Amazing!

[stopdiggin]

2. Wow. Must have been some muscles in that neck

Has to have been a little top heavy!

[bucolic_frolic]

3. SO much unexplained

What I mean is, there they were however long ago. How long did it take for them to develop into that? They had brains like any mammal. Where did their instincts come from.

[Timeflyer]

4. These ancient animals are so interesting, like these and the aurochs.

Musk ox are like a glimpse of the past world.