Eld's Deer
Encyclopedia
Eld's Deer also known as the Thamin or Brow-antlered Deer, is an endangered
species of deer indigenous to southeastern Asia
. The species was first discovered by westerners in Manipur
in India
in 1839. The original scientific name Cervus eldi was coined in 1844 in honour of Lt. Percy Eld – a British
officer. There are three subspecies
of the Eld's Deer:
The deer are generally of medium size and are similar to size and shape of the Barasingha
. The species have very regal and graceful Cervus
physique. Its legs are thin and long, has a long body with a large head on a thin neck. The throat of the males have a thick mane of long hair. Stags are bigger and heavier than the females. Their coat, rough and coarse, changes colour with the season; in summer
the colour is [reddish brown while in winter
it turns into dark brown with males tending to be darker than the females. The tail is short in length and rump has no distinct patch. Despite these features, they're actually related to the Père David's Deer
The antlers, bow or lyre
shaped, don't grow upwards but tend to grow outwards and then inwards; a smaller branch grows towards the front of the head. The brow tine is especially long and noticeable. The Brow-antlered Deer is so named since they have a long brow tine
.They shed their antlers every year with the largest size attained during the breeding season
.
(KLNP) covering an area of 40 square kilometreof marshland called the Phumdis within the larger Loktak Lake
was gazetted in 1977 specifically to protect the Cervus eldi eldi or the Sangai
in Manipuri language. Over time, public awareness and local support have evolved for conserving the subspecies of the endemic endangered Elds' Deer. Concerted actions have been initiated to stop encroachment of the park and adequate security arrangements have been made to stop poaching. This fact is very somberly presented in a story form in a popular children's magazine called Chandamama
, which gives a first person symbolic narrative by the affected 'Deer' itself. The final conclusion by the Deer quoted, below, concisely puts the security provided in the park in a proper perspective appreciation.
The home range of Brow-antlered deer in the park is confined to 15 square kilometre in south–western part of the lake where Phumdis on which the deer thrive are abundant. A study conducted of the proportion, on the basis of body weight of stag
, hind and fawn, is reported to be 4:2:1. The Sangai distribution dictated by shelter and availability of food is high near Toyaching, Pabotching and Yang Kokchambi area.
A census conducted by the wildlife wing of the Forest Department in 1975, 1990, 2000 and 2003 has shown that the Eld's Deer (Sangai) population was 14, 76, 162 and 180 respectively. The 2000 survey of 162 deer comprised 54 stags, 76 hinds and 32 fawns. The reports of 2004 indicate a figure of 182 as referred in another section here. This shows that the subspecie in Manipur is on the rise.
A successful captive breeding programme is underway at the Alipore Zoological Gardens
in Kolkata
and many specimens of the deer have been bred here.
's central plains, 125 mi2northwest of the city of Mandalay
has Indaing deciduous broadleaf forest dominated by Dipterocarpus
tuberculatus and is the habitat for four species of deer: thamin, muntjac
(Muntiacus muntjac), hog deer
(Cervus
porcinus), and sambhar (Cervus unicolor). Subject to indiscriminate hunting in the past (till the ownership of guns was controlled after 1960s), the thamin, highly threatened, now has a population of about 1,000. Initially, the Smithsonian National Zoo acquired a few thamin for observations and subsequently shifted a few to its Conservation and Research Center at Front Royal, Virginia
for biological study.
For a cross–check of the biological studies done at the research center, the Smithsonian Institution selected the Chatthin Wildlife Sanctuary, a protected park. Special studies on the Thamin deer were conducted by the conservation scientists headed by Christen Wemmer of the Smithsonian. They gathered a lot of details on the biology
and survival of the species by duly correlating with the changes that occurred in the ecology
of the region of the Chatthin Wildlife Sanctuary. Under the research project study, the ecology of Thamin and a series of training courses in biodiversity
were organised. The Thamin's life cycle studies on radio–collared 11 male and eight female deer, supported by field studies by the scientists, revealed that.:
Smithsonian National Zoological Park, which has been closely associated with the preservation of the Cervis eldii eldii Thamin deer, has in its conclusive observations stated:
But with external funding for such protection drying up the efforts had not yielded encouraging results and the conclusion was that conditions were not conducive even to protect the protected parks given the political and funding situation in the country.
The picture is not encouraging in Cambodia, Lao PDR and Viet Nam either. The Burmese Brow-antlered Deer is 'Near Threatened' and still occurs in reasonable numbers.
and along its triborder area with Lao PDR and Cambodia
; it is feared that it may be difficult to prevent the “decline and likely extirpation of Eld's deer from the wild in Thailand”.
Breeding and gestation period (conception to birth)
Female Eld's deer are generally found alone or in pairs with their young. But during the mating season females and their young gather in herds of up to 50 individuals. Males also move around singly except during mating season. When rutting takes place, males compete with each other to gain control of a harem
of females that they can then mate with. After a long gestation period
, normally, a single calf is born. The young ones have white spots at birth which fade away as it grows; they are weaned at 7 months of age, become sexually mature from 18 months of age onwards. The gestation period for three species are defined.
locally, is confined to the peculiar floating bog
called Phumdis in Loktak Lake and is numbered at less than a few hundred animals. The subspecies 'siamensis', which occupied the vast monsoon forests from Thailand to Hainan was extinct in Thailand, were very few numbers in Laos and Cambodia, and almost extinct in Vietnam. A few hundred deer were protected in a large enclosure in Hainan Island, China
. The estimated figures are:
, lentils, maize
, peas
and grape.
during many Asia
n war
s. Their population has declined due to intense development activities necessitating reclamation of land for grazing, cultivation and fish farming, in all countries. In Burma, deforestion of the diperocarp forests is cited as a reason for the threat faced by the thamin deer. The habitat
available for their protection is very limited; only 1% of the protected forests are suitable for its protection in South Asia
. Even in protected areas the animals are poached. Another striking problem is finding adequate funds and political will to protect the species. The species have a fragmented distribution and are therefore at risk from inbreeding and loss of genetic variation.
Endangered species
An endangered species is a population of organisms which is at risk of becoming extinct because it is either few in numbers, or threatened by changing environmental or predation parameters...
species of deer indigenous to southeastern Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
. The species was first discovered by westerners in Manipur
Manipur
Manipur is a state in northeastern India, with the city of Imphal as its capital. Manipur is bounded by the Indian states of Nagaland to the north, Mizoram to the south and Assam to the west; it also borders Burma to the east. It covers an area of...
in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
in 1839. The original scientific name Cervus eldi was coined in 1844 in honour of Lt. Percy Eld – a British
British people
The British are citizens of the United Kingdom, of the Isle of Man, any of the Channel Islands, or of any of the British overseas territories, and their descendants...
officer. There are three subspecies
Subspecies
Subspecies in biological classification, is either a taxonomic rank subordinate to species, ora taxonomic unit in that rank . A subspecies cannot be recognized in isolation: a species will either be recognized as having no subspecies at all or two or more, never just one...
of the Eld's Deer:
- Panolia eldii eldi: The Manipuri Brow-antlered DeerSangaiThe Sangai is an endemic, rare and endangered Brow-antlered deer found only in Manipur, India. Its common English name is Manipur Brow-antlered Deer and the scientific name, Rucervus eldi eldi McClelland. It lives in the marshy wetland in Keibul Lamjao about 45 km from Imphal...
is found in Manipur, India. It is called Sangai in Manipuri.
- Panolia eldii thamin: The Burmese Brow-antlered Deer is found in MyanmarMyanmarBurma , officially the Republic of the Union of Myanmar , is a country in Southeast Asia. Burma is bordered by China on the northeast, Laos on the east, Thailand on the southeast, Bangladesh on the west, India on the northwest, the Bay of Bengal to the southwest, and the Andaman Sea on the south....
, and westernmost ThailandThailandThailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
. Described by LydekkerRichard LydekkerRichard Lydekker was an English naturalist, geologist and writer of numerous books on natural history.-Biography:...
in 1915.
- Panolia eldii siamensis: The Thai Brow-antlered Deer is found in CambodiaCambodiaCambodia , officially known as the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country located in the southern portion of the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia...
, ChinaPeople's Republic of ChinaChina , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
, LaosLaosLaos Lao: ສາທາລະນະລັດ ປະຊາທິປະໄຕ ປະຊາຊົນລາວ Sathalanalat Paxathipatai Paxaxon Lao, officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic, is a landlocked country in Southeast Asia, bordered by Burma and China to the northwest, Vietnam to the east, Cambodia to the south and Thailand to the west...
, ThailandThailandThailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
and VietnamVietnamVietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
. Should perhaps be treated as a separate species. The population on the Chinese island of HainanHainanHainan is the smallest province of the People's Republic of China . Although the province comprises some two hundred islands scattered among three archipelagos off the southern coast, of its land mass is Hainan Island , from which the province takes its name...
is sometimes considered another subspecies, P. e. hainanus, but this is not supported by geneticGeneticsGenetics , a discipline of biology, is the science of genes, heredity, and variation in living organisms....
evidence.
Appearance
The following measurements have been reported for the Eld's deer:- Head–body length: 150–180 cm (59.1–70.9 in)
- Shoulder height is 110–125 cm (43.3–49.2 in)
- Tail length is 20–30 cm (7.9–11.8 in)
- Weighs 125–175 kg (275.6–385.8 lb)
- The antler length is 99 cm (39 in)
The deer are generally of medium size and are similar to size and shape of the Barasingha
Barasingha
The Barasingha or Swamp deer is a deer species currently found in isolated localities in north and central India, and southwestern Nepal, and is extinct in Pakistan and Bangladesh....
. The species have very regal and graceful Cervus
Cervus
Cervus is a genus of deer that primarily are native to Eurasia, although one species occurs in northern Africa and another in North America. In addition to the species presently placed in this genus, it has included a whole range of other species now commonly placed in other genera, but some of...
physique. Its legs are thin and long, has a long body with a large head on a thin neck. The throat of the males have a thick mane of long hair. Stags are bigger and heavier than the females. Their coat, rough and coarse, changes colour with the season; in summer
Summer
Summer is the warmest of the four temperate seasons, between spring and autumn. At the summer solstice, the days are longest and the nights are shortest, with day-length decreasing as the season progresses after the solstice...
the colour is [reddish brown while in winter
Winter
Winter is the coldest season of the year in temperate climates, between autumn and spring. At the winter solstice, the days are shortest and the nights are longest, with days lengthening as the season progresses after the solstice.-Meteorology:...
it turns into dark brown with males tending to be darker than the females. The tail is short in length and rump has no distinct patch. Despite these features, they're actually related to the Père David's Deer
Père David's Deer
Père David's Deer, Elaphurus davidianus, also known as the Milu , is a species of deer known only in captivity. It prefers marshland, and is believed to be native to the subtropics of China. It grazes on a mixture of grass and water plants. It is the only extant member of the genus Elaphurus...
The antlers, bow or lyre
Lyre
The lyre is a stringed musical instrument known for its use in Greek classical antiquity and later. The word comes from the Greek "λύρα" and the earliest reference to the word is the Mycenaean Greek ru-ra-ta-e, meaning "lyrists", written in Linear B syllabic script...
shaped, don't grow upwards but tend to grow outwards and then inwards; a smaller branch grows towards the front of the head. The brow tine is especially long and noticeable. The Brow-antlered Deer is so named since they have a long brow tine
Tine
Tine may have one of the following meanings:*Tine – a 'prong' on a fork or similar implement, or any similar structure*Tine – the biggest dairy producer in Norway...
.They shed their antlers every year with the largest size attained during the breeding season
Breeding season
The breeding season is the most suitable season, usually with favourable conditions and abundant food and water, for breeding among some wild animals and birds . Species with a breeding season have naturally evolved to have sexual intercourse during a certain time of year in order to achieve the...
.
Conservation status
The conservation status of three subspecies of Eld's Deer are described country wise:India
The Keibul Lamjao National ParkKeibul Lamjao National Park
The Keibul Lamjao National Park is a national park in the Bishnupur district of the state of Manipur in India. It is in area, the only floating park in the world, located in North East India, and an integral part of Loktak Lake....
(KLNP) covering an area of 40 square kilometreof marshland called the Phumdis within the larger Loktak Lake
Loktak Lake
Loktak Lake, the largest freshwater lake in India, also called the only Floating lake in the world due to the floating phumdis on it, is located near Moirang in Manipur state, India. The etymology of Loktak is Lok = "stream" and tak = "the end"...
was gazetted in 1977 specifically to protect the Cervus eldi eldi or the Sangai
Sangai
The Sangai is an endemic, rare and endangered Brow-antlered deer found only in Manipur, India. Its common English name is Manipur Brow-antlered Deer and the scientific name, Rucervus eldi eldi McClelland. It lives in the marshy wetland in Keibul Lamjao about 45 km from Imphal...
in Manipuri language. Over time, public awareness and local support have evolved for conserving the subspecies of the endemic endangered Elds' Deer. Concerted actions have been initiated to stop encroachment of the park and adequate security arrangements have been made to stop poaching. This fact is very somberly presented in a story form in a popular children's magazine called Chandamama
Chandamama
Chandamama in Kannada and Telugu means moon. It may refer to:* Chandamama, an Indian monthly magazine focused on kids and youngsters* Chandamama , a Malayalam film starring Kunchacko Boban...
, which gives a first person symbolic narrative by the affected 'Deer' itself. The final conclusion by the Deer quoted, below, concisely puts the security provided in the park in a proper perspective appreciation.
Thanks to these youngsters who live nearby", he said. I was happy and felt indebted to the youngsters for saving our lives. My friend added that these people really loved and respected the Sangai deer. They believed that killing the Sangai was an unpardonable sin. According to a Manipuri legend, the Sangai are the link between humans and nature. So, killing us would mean breaking a bond. My friend informed me that people concerned about animals like us have formed a group. They teach others to protect animals, too.
The news that people are trying their best to save the phumdis, deer like me, and the Loktak Lake, infuses new hope in me. How nice of them!' I thought.
Anyway, it is getting dark and my friend and I have to return to our herd. And those of you who are around can enjoy our dancing gait as we trot back home. It would be great if I could meet you again. We could dance together at KLNP, if you can make it here some time!
The home range of Brow-antlered deer in the park is confined to 15 square kilometre in south–western part of the lake where Phumdis on which the deer thrive are abundant. A study conducted of the proportion, on the basis of body weight of stag
STAG
STAG: A Test of Love is a reality TV show hosted by Tommy Habeeb. Each episode profiles an engaged couple a week or two before their wedding. The cameras then follow the groom on his bachelor party...
, hind and fawn, is reported to be 4:2:1. The Sangai distribution dictated by shelter and availability of food is high near Toyaching, Pabotching and Yang Kokchambi area.
A census conducted by the wildlife wing of the Forest Department in 1975, 1990, 2000 and 2003 has shown that the Eld's Deer (Sangai) population was 14, 76, 162 and 180 respectively. The 2000 survey of 162 deer comprised 54 stags, 76 hinds and 32 fawns. The reports of 2004 indicate a figure of 182 as referred in another section here. This shows that the subspecie in Manipur is on the rise.
A successful captive breeding programme is underway at the Alipore Zoological Gardens
Alipore Zoological Gardens
The Alipore Zoological Gardens is India's oldest formally stated zoological park and a big tourist attraction in Kolkata, West Bengal. It has been open as a zoo since 1876, and covers...
in Kolkata
Kolkata
Kolkata , formerly known as Calcutta, is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal. Located on the east bank of the Hooghly River, it was the commercial capital of East India...
and many specimens of the deer have been bred here.
Burma
For protection of the thamin species of the Eld's Deer, Chatthin Wildlife Sanctuary and Shwesettaw Wildlife Sanctuary (both protected sanctuaries) and Alaungdaw Kathapa National Park were chosen. Chatthin Wildlife Sanctuary with an area of 104 mi2 in MyanmarMyanmar
Burma , officially the Republic of the Union of Myanmar , is a country in Southeast Asia. Burma is bordered by China on the northeast, Laos on the east, Thailand on the southeast, Bangladesh on the west, India on the northwest, the Bay of Bengal to the southwest, and the Andaman Sea on the south....
's central plains, 125 mi2northwest of the city of Mandalay
Mandalay
Mandalay is the second-largest city and the last royal capital of Burma. Located north of Yangon on the east bank of the Irrawaddy River, the city has a population of one million, and is the capital of Mandalay Region ....
has Indaing deciduous broadleaf forest dominated by Dipterocarpus
Dipterocarpus
Dipterocarpus is a genus of flowering plants and the type genus of family Dipterocarpaceae. The genus has about 70 species, occurring in Southeast Asia. It is an important component of dipterocarp forests...
tuberculatus and is the habitat for four species of deer: thamin, muntjac
Muntjac
Muntjac, also known as Barking Deer and Mastreani Deer, are small deer of the genus Muntiacus. Muntjac are the oldest known deer, appearing 15–35 million years ago, with remains found in Miocene deposits in France, Germany and Poland....
(Muntiacus muntjac), hog deer
Hog Deer
The Hog Deer is a small deer whose habitat ranges from Pakistan, through northern India, to mainland southeast Asia...
(Cervus
Cervus
Cervus is a genus of deer that primarily are native to Eurasia, although one species occurs in northern Africa and another in North America. In addition to the species presently placed in this genus, it has included a whole range of other species now commonly placed in other genera, but some of...
porcinus), and sambhar (Cervus unicolor). Subject to indiscriminate hunting in the past (till the ownership of guns was controlled after 1960s), the thamin, highly threatened, now has a population of about 1,000. Initially, the Smithsonian National Zoo acquired a few thamin for observations and subsequently shifted a few to its Conservation and Research Center at Front Royal, Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
for biological study.
For a cross–check of the biological studies done at the research center, the Smithsonian Institution selected the Chatthin Wildlife Sanctuary, a protected park. Special studies on the Thamin deer were conducted by the conservation scientists headed by Christen Wemmer of the Smithsonian. They gathered a lot of details on the biology
Biology
Biology is a natural science concerned with the study of life and living organisms, including their structure, function, growth, origin, evolution, distribution, and taxonomy. Biology is a vast subject containing many subdivisions, topics, and disciplines...
and survival of the species by duly correlating with the changes that occurred in the ecology
Ecology
Ecology is the scientific study of the relations that living organisms have with respect to each other and their natural environment. Variables of interest to ecologists include the composition, distribution, amount , number, and changing states of organisms within and among ecosystems...
of the region of the Chatthin Wildlife Sanctuary. Under the research project study, the ecology of Thamin and a series of training courses in biodiversity
Biodiversity
Biodiversity is the degree of variation of life forms within a given ecosystem, biome, or an entire planet. Biodiversity is a measure of the health of ecosystems. Biodiversity is in part a function of climate. In terrestrial habitats, tropical regions are typically rich whereas polar regions...
were organised. The Thamin's life cycle studies on radio–collared 11 male and eight female deer, supported by field studies by the scientists, revealed that.:
- Its life cycle was well tuned to the seasonal rhythm of its environmentEnvironment (biophysical)The biophysical environment is the combined modeling of the physical environment and the biological life forms within the environment, and includes all variables, parameters as well as conditions and modes inside the Earth's biosphere. The biophysical environment can be divided into two categories:...
- An average group size of 2.5 per 1.6 square kilometre deer (mother with young) appeared to be the basic social unit
- Males were in velvetVelvetVelvet is a type of woven tufted fabric in which the cut threads are evenly distributed,with a short dense pile, giving it a distinctive feel.The word 'velvety' is used as an adjective to mean -"smooth like velvet".-Composition:...
when they were in bachelor groups, - After new grassGrassGrasses, or more technically graminoids, are monocotyledonous, usually herbaceous plants with narrow leaves growing from the base. They include the "true grasses", of the Poaceae family, as well as the sedges and the rushes . The true grasses include cereals, bamboo and the grasses of lawns ...
sprouts in the ashes of February and March fires they gathered to graze on tender shoots - Males moved through the herds seeking receptive females
- March and April were the months of rut
- Males with their newly hardened antlers were in a state of anorexiaAnorexia (symptom)Anorexia is the decreased sensation of appetite...
and sexual obsession during this period - They operated in a specific home range of about 3.5 mi2 and 2.7 mi2
- When food was short some animals migrated into farmland for a few months before returning to the park and during day they hid in small patches of degraded forest and at night they forayed into the croplands
Smithsonian National Zoological Park, which has been closely associated with the preservation of the Cervis eldii eldii Thamin deer, has in its conclusive observations stated:
Chatthin Wildlife Sanctuary (CWS) in MyanmarMyanmarBurma , officially the Republic of the Union of Myanmar , is a country in Southeast Asia. Burma is bordered by China on the northeast, Laos on the east, Thailand on the southeast, Bangladesh on the west, India on the northwest, the Bay of Bengal to the southwest, and the Andaman Sea on the south....
(Burma) protects the largest population of the endangered Eld's Deer left in the worldWorldWorld is a common name for the whole of human civilization, specifically human experience, history, or the human condition in general, worldwide, i.e. anywhere on Earth....
. It also represents one of the largest remaining patches of dipterocarp forest–a dry forest that is one of the most threatened and least protected forest types globally. Local people rely on these forests for their livelihood. The forests provide wood, food, shelter, and medicineMedicineMedicine is the science and art of healing. It encompasses a variety of health care practices evolved to maintain and restore health by the prevention and treatment of illness....
. Restricting people's access to these forests by declaring them protected is probably not a sustainable solution and will put greater burden on lower income households potentially increasing poverty. However, if people continue to use and abuse forests unregulated they will disappear and with them the Eld's deer and many other species.
But with external funding for such protection drying up the efforts had not yielded encouraging results and the conclusion was that conditions were not conducive even to protect the protected parks given the political and funding situation in the country.
The picture is not encouraging in Cambodia, Lao PDR and Viet Nam either. The Burmese Brow-antlered Deer is 'Near Threatened' and still occurs in reasonable numbers.
Thailand
The situation of protected areas for the Eld's Deer is much worse in ThailandThailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
and along its triborder area with Lao PDR and Cambodia
Cambodia
Cambodia , officially known as the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country located in the southern portion of the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia...
; it is feared that it may be difficult to prevent the “decline and likely extirpation of Eld's deer from the wild in Thailand”.
Other countries
In Cambodia, Lao PDR and Viet Nam, Eld's deer was hunted for traditional medicinal trade (particularly of this subspecies) and to meet demand for captive animals (especially from zoos) and forest habitat was degraded (deforested) to meet agriculture and infrastructural developments. The subpopulation in Hainan considered as a subspecies by Chinese conservationists was almost extinct in the wild.Assessment
In the last over 200 years of known history, the number of this species has declined substantially. The species categorization as per IUCN is EN, which is based on estimated rates of the decline of this species assessed in three generations (supposed to be at least 15 years period) for all the species and the average value is reported to be in excess of 50%. Based on this assessment IUCN has categorized the specie EN (Endangered). In this assessment for determining the specie-level, the numbers in India were considered to be numerically small (also found to be increasing) and hence the numbers of wild populations only of Eld's deer Thamin in Myanmar and Siamensis of Cambodia, Lao and Viet Nam were considered. The decline in population has been mainly attributed to hunting. In the case of the Myanmar thamin, the decline is discernible but not striking. The categorization is considered a middle of the ground situation considering the extensively diverse conditions and conservation trends in the geographically isolated and distinct populations of this species.Brief particulars of the three species
Female Eld's deer are generally found alone or in pairs with their young. But during the mating season females and their young gather in herds of up to 50 individuals. Males also move around singly except during mating season. When rutting takes place, males compete with each other to gain control of a harem
Harem
Harem refers to the sphere of women in what is usually a polygynous household and their enclosed quarters which are forbidden to men...
of females that they can then mate with. After a long gestation period
Gestation period
For mammals the gestation period is the time in which a fetus develops, beginning with fertilization and ending at birth. The duration of this period varies between species.-Duration:...
, normally, a single calf is born. The young ones have white spots at birth which fade away as it grows; they are weaned at 7 months of age, become sexually mature from 18 months of age onwards. The gestation period for three species are defined.
- For Manipur Deer, it is 220 to 240 days with calving between October and end of December
- For the Burmese Deer Thamin it is 220 to 240 days with calving between October and November
- For the Siamensis Deer in Thailand, Laos, Cambodian Siamese deer the gestation period is from 220 to 240 days with calving between October and November
Numbers in the wild
In India, the Eld's Deer species called SangaiSangai
The Sangai is an endemic, rare and endangered Brow-antlered deer found only in Manipur, India. Its common English name is Manipur Brow-antlered Deer and the scientific name, Rucervus eldi eldi McClelland. It lives in the marshy wetland in Keibul Lamjao about 45 km from Imphal...
locally, is confined to the peculiar floating bog
Bog
A bog, quagmire or mire is a wetland that accumulates acidic peat, a deposit of dead plant material—often mosses or, in Arctic climates, lichens....
called Phumdis in Loktak Lake and is numbered at less than a few hundred animals. The subspecies 'siamensis', which occupied the vast monsoon forests from Thailand to Hainan was extinct in Thailand, were very few numbers in Laos and Cambodia, and almost extinct in Vietnam. A few hundred deer were protected in a large enclosure in Hainan Island, China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
. The estimated figures are:
- 180 animals (2004) of Rucervus eld eldi or Sangai in Manipur
- 2,200 (United NationsUnited NationsThe United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
estimate) – 1992 survey for Rucervus eldi thamin of Burma and Thailand - In low tens (2004) – for Rucervus eldi siamensis, considered as possibly extinct in Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam.
Numbers in captivity (zoos)
In 2003, the estimated number of captive animals of the three subspecies in zoos were:- 180 Panolia eldi eldi
- 1100 Panolia eldii thamin
- 23 Panolia eldii siamens.
Peculiarities
Peculiarities to each subspecies include the following.- Panolia eldi eldi which in Manipur is WetlandWetlandA wetland is an area of land whose soil is saturated with water either permanently or seasonally. Wetlands are categorised by their characteristic vegetation, which is adapted to these unique soil conditions....
associated. It has adaptations of the hoops (feetHoofA hoof , plural hooves or hoofs , is the tip of a toe of an ungulate mammal, strengthened by a thick horny covering. The hoof consists of a hard or rubbery sole, and a hard wall formed by a thick nail rolled around the tip of the toe. The weight of the animal is normally borne by both the sole...
) to move easily in their marshland (boggy ground) habitat of phumdis. It lives in significantly different ecologyEcologyEcology is the scientific study of the relations that living organisms have with respect to each other and their natural environment. Variables of interest to ecologists include the composition, distribution, amount , number, and changing states of organisms within and among ecosystems...
vis-à-vis other subspecies and in divergent morphologyMorphology (biology)In biology, morphology is a branch of bioscience dealing with the study of the form and structure of organisms and their specific structural features....
. Antlers shed every year and reach their largest size during the breeding season.
- The Panolia eldi thamin of Burma and Thailand are not associated with wetland and live in three forest types: indaing forest (dominated by the tree DipterocarpusDipterocarpusDipterocarpus is a genus of flowering plants and the type genus of family Dipterocarpaceae. The genus has about 70 species, occurring in Southeast Asia. It is an important component of dipterocarp forests...
tuberculatus) equivalent to DeciduousDeciduousDeciduous means "falling off at maturity" or "tending to fall off", and is typically used in reference to trees or shrubs that lose their leaves seasonally, and to the shedding of other plant structures such as petals after flowering or fruit when ripe...
Dipterocarp Forest (Dipterocarp trees which belong to the family Dipterocarpaceae are resinous trees that are found in the old world tropics) of IndochinaIndochinaThe Indochinese peninsula, is a region in Southeast Asia. It lies roughly southwest of China, and east of India. The name has its origins in the French, Indochine, as a combination of the names of "China" and "India", and was adopted when French colonizers in Vietnam began expanding their territory...
and ThailandThailandThailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
; deciduousDeciduousDeciduous means "falling off at maturity" or "tending to fall off", and is typically used in reference to trees or shrubs that lose their leaves seasonally, and to the shedding of other plant structures such as petals after flowering or fruit when ripe...
forests of dry (thandahat); and mixed (teakTeakTeak is the common name for the tropical hardwood tree species Tectona grandis and its wood products. Tectona grandis is native to south and southeast Asia, mainly India, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Burma, but is naturalized and cultivated in many countries, including those in Africa and the...
).
- The Panolia eldii siamens of Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam are not associated with wetland. They are found in Deciduous Dipterocarp Forest.
Habits
Some observations on the habits of Eld's Deer common to all three sub species are a) active most of the time, seek shelter from the midday sun and migrate for short periods seeking water in the dry season and food in the growing season, b)seek areas that are seasonally burned in search of new grasses that grow after the burn, c) their diet comprises a variety of grasses, herbaceous plants, and shoots, grasses, fruit and wetland plants and they poach into cultivated crops to graze and browse in nearby fields of riceRice
Rice is the seed of the monocot plants Oryza sativa or Oryza glaberrima . As a cereal grain, it is the most important staple food for a large part of the world's human population, especially in East Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia, the Middle East, and the West Indies...
, lentils, maize
Maize
Maize known in many English-speaking countries as corn or mielie/mealie, is a grain domesticated by indigenous peoples in Mesoamerica in prehistoric times. The leafy stalk produces ears which contain seeds called kernels. Though technically a grain, maize kernels are used in cooking as a vegetable...
, peas
PEAS
P.E.A.S. is an acronym in artificial intelligence that stands for Performance, Environment, Actuators, Sensors.-Performance:Performance is a function that measures the quality of the actions the agent did....
and grape.
Threats
They are hunters' favourite game – as prized game – because of their impressive antlers and hides that are in demand in the local markets. They are widely hunted for food; it is believed that they were hunted to feed the armyArmy
An army An army An army (from Latin arma "arms, weapons" via Old French armée, "armed" (feminine), in the broadest sense, is the land-based military of a nation or state. It may also include other branches of the military such as the air force via means of aviation corps...
during many Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
n war
War
War is a state of organized, armed, and often prolonged conflict carried on between states, nations, or other parties typified by extreme aggression, social disruption, and usually high mortality. War should be understood as an actual, intentional and widespread armed conflict between political...
s. Their population has declined due to intense development activities necessitating reclamation of land for grazing, cultivation and fish farming, in all countries. In Burma, deforestion of the diperocarp forests is cited as a reason for the threat faced by the thamin deer. The habitat
Habitat
* Habitat , a place where a species lives and grows*Human habitat, a place where humans live, work or play** Space habitat, a space station intended as a permanent settlement...
available for their protection is very limited; only 1% of the protected forests are suitable for its protection in South Asia
South Asia
South Asia, also known as Southern Asia, is the southern region of the Asian continent, which comprises the sub-Himalayan countries and, for some authorities , also includes the adjoining countries to the west and the east...
. Even in protected areas the animals are poached. Another striking problem is finding adequate funds and political will to protect the species. The species have a fragmented distribution and are therefore at risk from inbreeding and loss of genetic variation.
External links
- E-Pao.Net - Sangai : A cry in the wilderness
- ARKive - images and movies of the Eld's deer (Cervus eldii)
- http://www.greenapple.com/~jorp/amzanim/eldsdeer.htm
- http://nationalzoo.si.edu/ConservationAndScience/EndangeredSpecies/EldsDeer/
- http://www.indianwildlifeimages.com/product_display.php?cat=Sangai%20Deer