Swamp Deer

Swamp Deer - Barasingha (Cervus Duvauceli)


As the name indicates, this species of deer is well adapted to swampy grasslands. and this is exactly the reason for its extinction. In the last couple of centuries, the habitat of the swamp deer has been zealously converted into agricultural land by man, thereby adversely affecting its population. Today, there are only about 4000 of them believed to be living on the planet.


¤ Deer Got Its Name From

The average swamp deer measures 75cm till the shoulder, and can weigh as much as 180kg. It has twelve times on its horns that can collectively measure more than 100cm in length. This is the reason the animal is called Barasingha in Hindi (bara means twelve, singha is horn). The name is so popular among Indians that every horned deer is wrongly called barasinghaThe coat of the barasingha is slightly woolly.

Its colour ranges from dark brown to pale yellow, which camouflages the herd in the tall elephant grasses of the region. There are two sub-species of the swamp deer. The flat-hoofed deer found in Kanha, which has adapted well to the grassland, and the ones living on the wetlands of Dudhwa.


¤ Distinct Behaviours

Just like the other deer species, the swamp deer also displays some interesting mating behaviour. It is non-territorial in behaviour, and dominance is proved through an exhibition of strength. There is hardly a serious conflict between the adult males. They engage in mock fights rather than actually locking horns, and walk with a stiff gait while calling shrilly.

Intriguingly, during the rutting season, the male swamp deer decorates its antlers with grass. Wallowing in the mud and lifting its head to emit hoarse, inviting mating calls, is yet another interesting rutting behaviour. With the end of the mating season, the ‘aggressive’ antlers are shed. The gestation period is six months and the litter comprises of one calf.


¤ Best Place To Sight

Dudhwa, Corbett, Kanha and Manas.