THE DEER AND THE DEPARTED

Intimate photos of roe deer reveal insights into family life in England's graveyards

- PAUL BLOOMFIELD

Finding sanctuary

A doe and her kid peer around watchfully on an early July morning, while foraging in a city cemetery in Wiltshire. The burial grounds pictured in this portfolio all stand on the edge of woodland, providing ideal habitat for roe - one of Britain's only two truly native deer species, along with red - allowing them to retreat into the shadows of the surrounding trees if disturbed.

Nursing times 

Young twins suckle their mother, who nudges her offspring to help them find her teats. These kids are just two or three weeks old, born in May after five months' gestation - though nine after mating; roe deer are among the few British mammals that employ delayed implantation of fertilised embryos. Twins are typical, though single kids and triplets are sometimes born.

Building bonds 

Tender licks and nudges help nurture the bond between mother and young as she moves her family around the semi-urban environment of a Surrey cemetery. Wildlife photographer Jules Cox spent four years following this particular doe and her succession of offspring, which also feature in the Wild Isles series airing on BBC One and iPlayer from early spring.

Be still 

A two-week-old kid lies motionless and silent, largely concealed in long grass, while mother forages nearby in a Surrey cemetery. That instinct to remain completely still and hidden, which kicks in right after birth, is vital for young roe deer. In their first weeks, kids are highly vulnerable to predation from red foxes and to dog attacks.

Grave squirrel