News from the Forest #1 March 2021
There have been recent reports of sightings of small herds of haiku grazing in the New Forest.
Like sika and muntjac, they are not a native species but the Verderers believe that they will not pose a threat to other animals in the forest ecosystem such as the sonnet and the elusive vilanelle.
Whilst sika and muntjac became established in our woods after having escaped from private collections, it is believed that the haiku, known for their cunning, may have absconded from writers’ notebooks left open on desks overnight.
Haiku live in family groups of seventeen individuals. They are generally shy and retiring, but members of the public are warned not to try to feed or pet them as they can become quite argumentative, and even sarcastic, when cornered.
Naturalists say that there is a possibility that haiku may occasionally mate with the somewhat larger tanka, though these are still quite rare in the forest. The offspring of these unions are small, short-lived, creatures, having only fifteen and a half syllables. They are believed to be infertile, much like the mule.