He reveals that deer are actually the reason why the forest exists today; in the 11th century, the area was protected as a royal hunting reserve where kings could hunt wild boar, red deer, roe deer and fallow deer.
Recently, the loss of habitat caused by the construction of new roads and poor woodland management means that the common dormouse is not so common anymore. Ray meets female wildlife ranger Elizabeth ‘Sid’ Davis, who shows him the nest boxes which have been set up to help the mice hibernate. He is delighted to discover that the boxes are working well and that the dormice are now thriving in the area.
The rich habitat of the forest is home to a variety of birds, mammals, insects and plants. But recently, one important forest inhabitant has been missing; the wild boar was a favourite quarry for the Royal hunt and 300 years ago, the last boar was hunted out. They have recently been reintroduced to the forest and Ray is delighted to see some boar and their piglets feeding in the forest.
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