Environment
Herd of rare sambar deer spotted at night grazing next to BKE
A male deer can be seen grazing at the side of the road before hopping over the guardrail to join his herd.
December 01, 2024, 03:26 PM
A herd of wild sambar deer was recently spotted on the side of the Bukit Timah Expressway (BKE).
In a video posted onto the SG Road Vigilante Facebook page on Nov. 29, several deer can be seen behind the road's guardrail.
A male deer, long antlers visible, was filmed grazing closest to the edge of the road.
It is unknown at what time the video was filmed, and at which part of the BKE it was filmed at.
Sensing the approaching car, the male deer hops over the guardrail to join the rest of the herd as they retreat into the forest.More about 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, sometimes to their detriment.
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Top photo via SG Road Vigilante
