{"id":416,"date":"2022-12-02T00:16:57","date_gmt":"2022-12-02T00:16:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/movinggiants.org\/?p=416"},"modified":"2022-12-23T23:22:30","modified_gmt":"2022-12-23T23:22:30","slug":"do-deer-eat-rabbits","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/movinggiants.org\/do-deer-eat-rabbits\/","title":{"rendered":"Do Deers Eat Rabbits?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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It\u2019s fairly common knowledge that deers are herbivores. For those that don\u2019t know, that means that they predominantly graze on vegetation. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Their digestive system is designed to be apple to process plants incredibly well and can get every last little bit of nutrition from said plants. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Much like cows, they actually have four different stomach sections for such a specialized diet. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, upon learning this information, the question of whether deer eat rabbits may seem a little redundant. Surely not, right? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wrong. Actually, we\u2019re hearing more and more recently about sightings of deer tucking into meat. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

And that meat includes little bunny rabbits\u2026sorry. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

With that being said, there\u2019s never been any evidence that a deer has hunted or killed any <\/em>animal. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, it\u2019s not so much that a deer will go out of its way to pray on a nearby bunny, but rather that if they happen to stumble upon an already dead carcass, they\u2019re likely to make the most of the free food source, and give it a try. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s take a closer look at the eating habits of deer. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/path><\/svg><\/span>Deer Eating Rabbits<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

So, as I mentioned above, there is evidence of deer eating rabbits but there is no evidence of them hunting <\/em>them. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

And these recordings and pictures have definitely left a lot of people wondering why they would ever choose to chomp down on something that just really isn\u2019t part of their natural diet. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are two main reasons that are debated as to why this happens. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some believe that deer are attracted to the meat itself for its nutritional value<\/a> while others believe that it is actually the guts <\/em>of the rabbit that draws in the deer. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

A rabbit’s guts would contain much of the plant matter that is more typical to a deer’s diet. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Regardless of which theory, it would seem that deer are definitely adapting their diet in an opportunistic manner. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Essentially, all this means is that when a new opportunity arises for the animal to increase their chances of survival, they take it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

And considering that there will be an abundance of rabbits within a deer’s habitat, this would make logical sense. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Are There Any Benefits Of Meat For Deer? <\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Since a deer\u2019s digestive system is specifically designed for processing plants, you may be wondering why a deer might eat meat or if there are even any benefits to doing so.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Well, the first thing you need to remember is that vegetation tends to be seasonal. In the winter we see all the leaves fall from the trees after all. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

So when all that vegetation disappears during this month, a deer’s typical food source actually becomes fairly limited. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If they are to stumble upon a carcass during this time, it would first of all, just be a source of food<\/a> for the animal. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

And the meat is also going to contain minerals and nutrients which will be beneficial as breeding season approaches. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Deer Eating Animal Meat<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

It could even be argued that the rise in sightings of deer eating animal meat could even be at the fault of humans. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

We are well aware that we are responsible for deforestation and the dissolution of their natural habitats. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

And thus decreasing their food natural food sources. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This means that not only just deer, but all animals within these habitats are fiercely competing for the vegetation that is left for their survival.<\/a> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Perhaps we have pushed or forced these creatures into having to adapt their natural eating habits. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Are Deers Predators?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Absolutely not. You could spend your whole life in a deer’s habitat and you will never witness a deer stalk or attack an animal with the intention of eating it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It quite simply is not in their nature. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

To start with, deer do not have the vital senses needed to prey on other animals. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nor do they have the body shape to do so, or even the natural instinct to do so. In fact, deer are actually preyed upon rather than a predator themselves. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Deers are more often described as scavengers, and decent ones at that. They go out looking for natural food sources to placate a hungry stomach. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

So What Do Deers Eat? <\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Okay, so, deer have been known to consume other small forest animals along with rabbits such as birds or squirrels, for example. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

But again, this is usually when they stumble upon a dead and discarded carcass.<\/a> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is fairly safe to assume that it would appear that a very <\/em>hungry or starving deer is likely to consume pretty much anything it stumbles across providing that it is edible. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In fact, there has even been footage of deer eating the remains of other deer carcasses too. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, none of this is really part of a deer’s typical <\/em>diet. For the most part, you\u2019ll find that deer prefer to munch on leaves, fruits, bark, and berries. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Their diet is predominantly vegetation and natural resources, as we have mentioned above. <\/p>\n\n\n

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More Deer Facts:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n

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