Philippine sambar, Philippine brown deer
The Philippine deer (Rusa marianna ), also known as the Philippine sambar or Philippine brown deer, is a vulnerable deer species endemic to the Philippines. It was first described from introduced populations in the Mariana Islands, hence the specific name.
The Philippine deer is a vulnerable deer species native to the Philippines. It is generally brown in color with a white tail underside. Antlers are common among males and measure 20 to 40 cm.
Philippine deer occur in the islands of Luzon, Polillo and Catanduanes, Mindoro, Samar, and Leyte. They live in primary and secondary forests where they prefer to forage in grasslands.
Philippine deer are generally nocturnal which means that they look for food at night. During the daytime, they typically rest hiding in the dense forest thickets. During the mating season, females congregate in small groups composed of at most 8 individuals, while males are solitary and are aggressive.
Philippine deer are herbivores. Their diet includes grasses, leaves, fallen fruits, and berries.
Philippine deer usually breed between September to January. After the gestation period that lasts approximately 6 months, females give birth to a single fawn with light-colored spots that eventually disappear after several weeks. The young are usually weaned when they are 6 months old and become reproductively mature from 18 months of age.
Philippine deer are threatened by several factors that contribute to their rapidly declining population. Habitat loss and fragmentation drive these animals to hide in the remaining patches of forest with scarce food to eat. While they forage in grasslands, Philippine deer prefer forest shade as hiding places, especially during the daytime. Females of this species also have low fertility, giving birth to only a single fawn. This means that excessive hunting has a high tendency of declining their population. Philippine deer are also hunted for meat and antlers which aside from being a common household decoration, are also used in traditional medicine.
The IUCN Red List and other sources don’t provide the number of the Philippine deer total population size. Currently, this species is classified as Vulnerable (VU) on the IUCN Red List and its numbers today are decreasing.
