The main wildlife in Anglo-Saxon Southern Britain included a diverse range of large and small mammals, with deerbeing particularly significant.
The most frequently encountered and hunted wild mammals were:
Red Deer (Cervus elaphus) and Roe Deer (Capreolus capreolus): These were the only two species of deer native to Britain and were the most common wild mammals found in bone assemblages across all phases of the Anglo-Saxon period. They were a primary source of meat and their antlers and bones were essential for crafts.
Wild Boar (Sus scrofa): These were certainly present, especially in forested areas, and were a major quarry animal, often appearing as a symbol of strength in Anglo-Saxon culture and art.
Wolves (Canis lupus): Though feared and persecuted as a threat to livestock, they were plentiful in Britain during this period, particularly in the vast, uninhabited forests, and were actively hunted.
Beavers (Castor fiber): They were present, with evidence like place-names suggesting their distribution was wider in the earlier Anglo-Saxon centuries before their numbers dwindled.
Foxes (Vulpes vulpes) and Badgers (Meles meles): These were common in the countryside and woods. Although their remains are less frequent in archaeological sites than deer, place-name evidence suggests a high level of awareness of them among the population.
Hares (Lepus europaeus): Brown hares were common, having been established since the Iron Age, and provided small game to supplement the diet.
Other animals included wildcats, otters, martens, squirrels, and a variety of birds such as ravens, eagles, cranes, and various waterfowl. Brown Bears were likely extinct or extremely rare by the time the Anglo-Saxons established their kingdoms.
The Anglo-Saxons and the Normans: how hunting turned to poaching discusses how the right to hunt, which had been open to free-born Anglo-Saxons, became a restricted privilege after the Norman Conquest.