Red deer, a species of deer in the family Deer. Red deer were widely distributed in many parts of the world, originally found in Asia, Europe, and North America, and later introduced to New Zealand. Red deer usually live separately for both sexes and only gather together during the mating season. At this point, the male deer engages in intense combat with the female deer in order to mate. Red deer living in the forest have long been the best prey for humans, with the purpose of not only consuming their delicious meat, but also widely regarded as a great form of entertainment and exercise. Many subspecies of red deer are now at risk of extinction. This includes North African red deer, Kashmir red deer, and Corsican red deer.