The Irish Deer or Irish Elk as it’s also called was the largest known of its species. It stood 7 feet tall at the shoulder. It had 12 foot wide antlers that could weigh up to 90 pounds.
It lived throughout Europe, northern Asia and northern Africa. It’s called the "Irish" deer as well-preserved fossils of the giant animal have been commonly found in lake sediments and peat bogs in Ireland.
Since the Irish Deer went extinct approximately 7,700 years ago it’s difficult to determine what the cause of its demise was. Could it have been over-hunting by man? Or perhaps a change in the vegetation it had to eat, leading to malnutrition? We’ll probably never know for sure. However, if you want to see just how impressive this gigantic beast was, visit the National Museum of Natural History in Washington DC, where the remains of this huge animal is on display.
Is it wrong the Irish Deer is gone? Imagine you’re walking through the woods and suddenly you catch a glimpse of the biggest animal you’ve ever seen. It stops and sniffs the air. Its giant antlers perfectly level with the top of a tree. What a sight!