Experts stunned after tail camera footage captures rare hooved animal sighting: 'They seem to feel at home'

A pair of red deer recently wandered into unexpected territory near Sorbas, Spain, and a hidden camera caught it all.

"He, the deer, both through natural dispersal and aided by some uncontrolled release, has also conquered the Sierra de Estancias, Los Vélez, Sierra Nevada, Sierra Alhamilla, and even the Tabernas Desert," Asociación Serbal Almeria wrote on its Facebook page.

The surprise sighting came from a motion-activated camera set up by the group, which is focused on protecting wildlife in Almería province. This is the first time red deer have been documented this close to Sorbas, an area where they are not usually found.

The video shows two female red deer calmly moving through scrubland and wild thyme. Until now, red deer had only been spotted in mountainous regions like the Sierra Nevada and the Sierra de los Filabres. Seeing them in a lowland area like this one is new, and it could mean the animals are learning to adapt.

Asociación Serbal said the shift could be due to growing herds moving beyond their usual range or unregulated releases. Either way, the appearance opens up questions about how species respond to changing landscapes.

These kinds of sightings are more than just rare moments — they help guide smarter conservation. Trail cameras give scientists a nonintrusive way to track wildlife and measure the health of local ecosystems. When animals like deer return, they help keep nature in balance, which supports food systems and clean water for nearby communities.

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Founded in 2012, Asociación Serbal runs monitoring programs across southern Spain and shares findings with the public through workshops and social media.

Red deer showing up near Sorbas may seem like a small thing, but it's a sign that some parts of nature are rebuilding — and that matters for everyone. And there are a lot more success stories happening throughout Europe, such as wildcats returning in the United Kingdom, where conversationalists are also using beaver-led flood prevention.

The group's message continued: "Very recently, one of our trapping cameras has captured two females in an espartal-thyme area. A habitat where it is not typical to find this species, but they seem to feel at home!"

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