🔸 Keivan Etemad, a wildlife cameraman, has published images of a roaring red deer in the heights of Golestan National Park on his Instagram page.

🔸 Known also as the Iranian red deer, maral is considered the largest native deer species in the country. The animal mainly lives in the Hyrcanian forests of northern Iran, but pressures such as the destruction of parts of its natural habitats and illegal hunting have reduced its population in some regions.

🔸 “#گاوبانگی” is a term that refers to the mating season of animals such as deer, and in Iran—especially marals or Caspian red deer. This period begins in mid-Shahrivar each year and lasts for one month until the middle of Mehr. During this time, male marals invite female marals to mating rituals and call male marals to fight by producing loud vocalizations.

🔸 Iran’s Hyrcanian forests, with a history of 40 million years, are considered among the most valuable forests in the world. In Tir 1398, they were registered as Iran’s second natural heritage item on the UNESCO World Heritage list.