11 sambar deer graze on slope in Woodlands

A herd of 11 sambar deer were seen grazing on a grassy slope in Singapore recently.

Rare sighting

On Jul. 24, photos of the rare sighting of so many deer at once were put up on the Singapore Wildlife Sightings Facebook group by M Saniroz AR.

As of Jul. 25, the images have received more than 1,600 reactions.

Not at the zoo

In response to comments about where the deer were spotted, it was revealed that the herd were spotted on a grassy slope near a train depot located off Woodlands Road.

This was after some commenters joked that the deer were located at Mandai Wildlife Reserve, which is about 6km away from where the deer were spotted.

One commenter said it was nice to see the animals roaming freely in the concrete jungle: "This is good to see them doing well in the little red dot."

However, others said their presence out in the open might indicate their habitat might be shrinking.

Others also wondered if these creatures ought not to be out and about only at night as they are nocturnal.

Nocturnal creatures

According to NParks, sambar deer is one of the largest deer species in the world, after the moose and elk, mostly inhabiting wooded habitats from dense rainforest to open deciduous forest and secondary forest.

Most sambar deer are active at dusk and at night and rest among thick vegetation in the day.

The deer lives in small herds and usually communicate by scent marking and foot stamping.

Their diet consists of a wide variety of vegetation including grasses, leafy foliage, fruit, water plants, shrubs and trees.

Safety concerns

Those who were concerned about the deer also suggested ways to keep the animals in their natural habitat, such as by fencing the area as an open enclosure.

Making a comeback

The sambar deer were once believed to be locally extinct due to poaching and habitat loss, but the species resurfaced in the 1970s.

In 1997, the Nature Society Singapore (NSS) estimated that there were three deer in the wild.

The current population of deer are likely descendants of escapees from the Singapore Zoo.

In 2021, the National Parks Board (NParks) put the population number at around 15.

However, Jay Lim, who leads Save Sambar Deer, the sole organisation monitoring the species in Singapore, estimated the figure as closer to 40, based on his records.

In 2023, Lim concurred with NParks that the number was greater than 60.

A study in 2023 suggested that the population has been on the rise in recent years.

Their numbers are increasing in forested areas, such as the Central Catchment Nature Reserve and Bukit Timah.

The sambar deer is currently listed as a vulnerable species, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

Top photos via M Saniroz AR on Singapore Wildlife Sightings