Sambar Deer : Presence Recorded
The Wildlife Wing of the Himachal Pradesh Forest Department recently recorded the presence of sambar deer (Rusa unicolor) in high-altitude protected areas of Chamba district through camera traps for the first time.
- Sambar Deer is a large deer native to the Indian Subcontinent, southern China and Southeast Asia.
- Scientific Name: Rusa unicolor
- Several races of sambar are recognized, among them the large Indian sambar and the smaller Malayan sambar.
- They are native to India, Pakistan, Ceylon, Sri Lanka, Burma, the Philippines, southern China, Taiwan, Borneo, Malaysia, Sumatra, and Java.
- Sambars inhabit both gently sloping and steep forested hillsides.
- They reside preferably near cultivated areas, such as gardens and plantations, in order to acquire food, but are also found in thick forests, swamp forests, and open scrub.
- It is the largest oriental deer.
- Conservation Status:
- IUCN Red List: Vulnerable.
