 Sighting of spotted deer
by Nilma Dole
The spotted deer at the Yala
National Park is a gorgeous sight. Looking over the dazzling sunset
horizon as the spotted deer herd gently laps the water of the lake,
their graceful figures are a heavenly sight that takes your breath away.
While they are a joy to see, make sure you don’t flash at them. In the
sense, make sure your camera doesn’t flash or else they will spiral into
a panic.
The chital or ‘cheetal’ which is also known as the chital deer,
spotted deer or axis deer is a deer which commonly resides in the woody
areas not only in Sri Lanka but India, Nepal, Bangladesh and in small
numbers in Pakistan too.
 It is the most common deer species in Indian forests. They can be
identified with a reddish fawn coat dotted with white spots with their
underside being a soft white. Its antlers (on the male), which it sheds
every year, are usually three-pronged and curved in a lyre shape which
can reach up to 75 cm.
It has an extended breeding season because of the tropical climate,
and births can occur anytime through the year. For this reason, the
males do not have their antler cycles in synchrony and there are some
fertile females at all times of the year. Males sporting hard antlers
are dominant over those in velvet or those without antlers, irrespective
of their size and other factors. A chital stands about 90 cm (3 ft) tall
at the shoulder and masses about 85 kg (187 lb). Their lifespan is
around 20-30 years.
According to wildlife naturalist and photographer, Jetwing
EcoHolidays CEO, Gehan De Silva Wijeyeratne, “Even though they are
abundant in Yala, the spotted deer are the preferred meal of the
leopards”.
At Uraniya Wewa, you can see the largest members of the deer family
on the island, the sambar. “Sightings of sambar in Yala are infrequent
and rarely are they seen in more than a group of a few individuals. Yala
also has the chevrotain or mouse deer, which is an extremely rare
animal” said Gehan. So as we drove about in the safari jeep, the deer
looked up.
If you move on driving, without stopping the vehicle, the deer won’t
run away thinking you’re just rolling away. However, if you stop, they
might run away.
So be cautious of the spotted deer and engage to nothing but
flash-free photography while you’re at it.
Pic: Ramli Mohamed
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