Oldest deer ever

The oldest deer ever recorded was Bambi, a hand-reared Scottish red deer (Cervus elaphus) owned by the Fraser family from Kiltarlity in Beauly, Highland, UK. Bambi was born on 8 June 1963 and died on 20 January 1995 at the age of 31 years 226 days. By comparison, deer in the wild that survive the hazards facing them during their time as fawns usually live for 10–20 years.

Certain zoo specimens of deer have survived well beyond the age of 20. For example, a red deer in Milwaukee Zoo in Wisconsin, USA, lived to be 26 years 8 months, dying in 1954. Another red deer, this time housed at the National Zoo in Washington DC, USA, lived to be 26 years 2 months 2 days old. And a female sambar Rusa unicolor at the New York Zoological Park (aka the Bronx Zoo) in the USA was 26 years 5 months 6 days old when she died.