A red deer in Richmond Park, London

© Mark Bridger/Alamy

A red deer in Richmond Park, London

Created by Charles I in the 17th century as a deer park, Richmond Park is a national nature reserve and home to 300 red deer – Britain's largest land mammal. Stags (males) – like this chap peering at the camera – are bigger than hinds (females) and boast magnificent branching antlers, which start growing in the spring and are shed each year, usually at the end of winter. The deer gets its name from its rich, reddish summer coat, although it turns brown to grey in the colder months.