Do not weep for me

I came upon this deer on my walk this morning. In fact, my hound led me to the deer which was partially hidden in the undergrowth, deep in the woods. I presume the deer had been killed by foxes which had then feasted upon the lower half of the animal. The foxes had eaten through the deer's rectum and exposed the intestines. The hind legs were intact. I chose not to publish any photos of blood and gore merely because I do not think many people would have the stomach for it. From the photo that I have published, it would seem that the deer finally died after struggling into the undergrowth, its predators in hot pursuit. If one looks carefully, there are twigs covering the deer's legs; this says to me that the deer was still alive as it fell. From what I could observe, the deer had been dispatched by a bite on the neck.  Having seen many dead animals in the natural world over the years, this deer had most likely been killed early this morning- perhaps just before dawn. The deer is quite large and I am still trying to figure out in my mind how a pack of foxes brought it down.

The foxes will return to consume the carcass and in about 10 days all that will remain will be a skeleton picked perfectly clean.

I would say the deer was not a young animal - its hooves appear quite worn.

This is nature and we should not feel sympathy or sorrow for the deer. The cycle of life and the symbiotic relationship in the animal world means that in this instance, everything is as it should be.