S’pore woman films sambar stag galloping up close, implores public to be careful with wildlife

She estimated this particular stag to be about the size of a pony.

Julia Yee | February 02, 2024, 04:21 PM

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A woman in Singapore managed to film a sambar deer galloping up close.

The footage is only a few seconds long, but in it, you can clearly see a sambar stag running on a road in Singapore.

The incident happened on a road flanking a forested area. The woman, Samantha Dorai, declined to reveal the exact location for fear that curious people might intrude and interfere with the wildlife there.

Dorai's fear is not totally unfounded.

She posted the footage on Facebook claiming that the stag was chased by construction workers. However, she declined to provide the footage for verification.

Deer up close

In Dorai's video, the stag was seen trotting at top speed along the road.

Gif via Samantha Dorai/Facebook

Dorai is then heard saying off-screen, "Don't move, don't move. Later (the deer might be) scared."

After pausing to look back, the deer made a beeline into the forested area by the road, seeking refuge among the darkness and foliage.

Gif via Samantha Dorai/Facebook

According to Dorai, who frequents the area to feed stray dogs, the deer are always there.

There are about two herds, each consisting of about four to five deer, she said.

She'd seen them from afar now and then, but this was the first time she'd had the privilege of gazing upon one up close.

Dorai estimated this particular stag to be about the size of a pony.

On sambar deer

Sambar deer have mostly been sighted at night, as they are mostly active in the early morning or after dark.

Native to Singapore, these shy creatures were thought to be extinct in the 1940s due to poaching and habitat loss.

The species resurfaced in the 1970s; a small population was recorded in the Central Catchment Nature Reserve.

They are thought to be the progeny of sambar deer who escaped from the Singapore Zoo, as suggested by the Singapore Biodiversity Records 2014.

Sambar deer have often been seen wandering the urbanised city, even onto roads and expressways.

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Top images from Samatha Dorai/Facebook