Chital (Axis axis)
Introduction
Six species of deer are established in the wild in Australia,
having been introduced during the world-wide movement to 'share
the world's most beautiful and useful things' as was the
objective of the acclimatisation societies which were active in
the latter half of the 19th. century. Of the many species which
the acclimatisation societies and private individuals introduced,
only the chital (Axis axis), fallow deer (Dama dama), hog deer (Axis porcinus), red deer (Cervus elaphus), rusa (Cervus timorensis) and sambar (Cervus unicolor) remain.
During the course of the widespread exchange of species which
took place during those years, some mistakes which were to have
horrific consequences occurred as animals, plants and insects
finding circumstances to which they were uniquely suited,
exploded into populations which could not have been dreamed of at
the time. Other introductions were less spectacular or failed to
survive, but those that did became in many instances exactly what
their benefactors set out to achieve - beautiful and useful
things. We only have to look around us to see that almost all of
our food resources, for instance, are provided by introduced
species.
Deer in Australia continue to suffer the stigma of having been
introduced (exotic) in many instances, while conversely being
revered by those who take an interest in them. It is probably
fair to say that most members of the public are thrilled and
excited by the occasional chance sighting of a deer in the wild.
This page is not the place for a debate on the subject, nor is it
possible to give a detailed outline of each of the deer species
in question. These issues are covered in greater detail in a
booklet titled Wild Deer of Australia and in The
Australian Deerhunter's Handbook, both of which are
listed in the Reference Section of our catalogue of titles. The
following provides some brief general comments about each of the
species:
This is the Indian Spotted Deer or chital - one of the
most beautiful of the 42 species (197 subspecies) of deer
recognised by Kenneth Whitehead in his Encyclopedia of Deer.
A chital stag attains a height at the shoulder of about 86cm and
a weight of 80kg; hinds are proportionally smaller (75cm, 50kg).
The coat varies from light to dark brown with permanent white
spots which appear as broken lines running along the body. A dark
stripe (dorsal stripe) runs along the spine and the throat is a
prominent white. Typically antlers, are three tined.
The chital was the first species of deer introduced into
Australia in the early 1800s by Dr. John Harris, surgeon to the
New South Wales Corps and he had about 400 of these animals on
his property by 1813. These did not survive and the primary range
of the chital is now confined to a few cattle stations in North
Queensland near Charters Towers. While some of the stock
originated from Sri Lanka (Ceylon), it is likely that the Indian
race is also represented.
Behaviourally, the chital is gregarious (a strong herding
instinct) and, originating in tropical regions which do not have
the extreme seasonal variations of Europe, is irregular in its
breeding patterns. Young are born throughout the year. Preferred
habitat is a well watered open forest environment.
A close relative of the chital is the much smaller hog deer or Para. Stags attain a shoulder height of about 70cm and weight of 55kg and hinds are proportionally smaller (60cm, 30-35kg). The hog deer was first liberated in Victoria in 1865 and has established its range in the coastal regions of South and East Gippsland. Its coat ranges from a uniform dark brown during winter to a rich reddish-brown in summer at which time light coloured spots along the sides and on either side of the dark dorsal stripe are visible in individuals. Antlers are normally three tined, but extra points are not uncommon.
In behaviour, the hog deer differs from the chital in that
while it may be seen in numbers on attractive feeding areas, it
lives and acts as an individual. This can probably be attributed
to its evolution in the tall grasslands (up to five metres high)
along the major rivers in Northern India and Nepal. In this dense
grass jungle, herding would not have been a practical option. In
common with many other tropical species, breeding activity is
spread throughout the year, although in Australia a calving peak
occurs in late winter and spring, roughly coinciding with antler
casting in the stags.
Rusa (Cervus timorensis)
Rusa are closely related to the sambar, but smaller in stature
(stags about 110cm at shoulder, weight about 140kg with hinds
proportionately smaller (90cm, 80kg). Coat colour is a uniform
grey-brown, variable between individuals and season. The body
hair is coarse and notably sparse by comparison with other deer.
Antlers are typically three tined with the beams forming a
characteristic lyre shape.
The original stock of rusa which reached New South Wales from New
Caledonia between 1861 and 1885 was the Javan race - a smaller
subspecies, the Moluccan rusa, is located on some of the offshore
islands north of the mainland. Liberations were made in New South
Wales, Victoria and Western Australia with the surviving
population centred around Sydney's Royal National Park and its
surroundings.
A tropical species, the rusa in Australia is gregarious and very
vocal in communicating with others of its kind. The breeding
season is said to be irregular with a peak in mating behaviour in
July and August, during which time stags wallow extensively and
exude a strong musky odour to attract hinds. A feature of the
rutting behaviour is the 'roaring' of the stags which also
'decorate' their antlers with clumps of grass in displays
designed to intimidate their rivals.
Sambar (Cervus unicolor)
'The dominant transplant' as Arthur Bentley termed it in his An
Introduction to the Deer of Australia, the sambar is the
largest of the deer species established here in the wild. Stags
stand at about 127cm at the shoulder and weigh around 225kg
(hinds 115cm, 150kg), although much heavier weights have been
recorded in individuals. Antlers are typically three tined, but
despite this simplicity, there is a wide variety of styles. Coat
colour is normally brown but individuals of grey to almost black
are seen.
Sambar were first released in Victoria in 1863 and while the
original animals were received from Ceylon (the Ceylon Elk),
others were also obtained from India and Malaysia. Following
subsequent releases, the sambar has extended its range throughout
the Central Highlands of eastern Victoria and into southern New
South Wales.
Behaviourally, sambar live as individuals or in small groups; as
with other tropical species, breeding is irregular, with seasonal
peaks in May/June and from September to November. A very
interesting and complex behaviour is proving difficult to unravel
due to the extreme elusiveness of this magnificent animal. The
sambar is well in control of most situations it encounters in the
bush, but for those rare occasions when it is surprised, the
stag's alarm bark (honk) is something which has to be experienced
to be believed. It loses nothing by comparison with a close
encounter with the air horn of a MACK truck in the middle of a
still, dark night!
Fallow deer are amongst the most widely distributed around the
world of all the deer species. Attractive, particularly when in
their summer coat of light to reddish brown with white spots,
this medium sized deer (bucks 90cm at shoulder, weight about
90kg; does proportionally smaller at 76cm, 40kg), has a range of
colours which include black, white and menil. The latter is
rather like the common fallow's reddish brown and spotted coat,
but retains this pelage throughout the year while the common
fallow changes to a greyish brown in winter. The black and the
white varieties also retain their colour in winter coat. The
buck's antlers are very complex with the most striking feature
being the broad palm-like blades with trailing points which
develop on the end of the main antler beams
Fallow deer were first introduced into Tasmania prior to 1850
with releases taking place in all of the eastern states of
Australia - they are not known to be present in either Western
Australia or the Northern Territory, but populations are thriving
in all other states. Of more recent times, it is believed that
escapes from deer farms, particularly during troubled times
within the industry, may have contributed to expansion of the
fallow deer range.
A long term inhabitant of Europe with its severe winters, fallow
deer have developed a breeding strategy in which a defined mating
season or rut (mid autumn) results in calves being born in late
spring/early summer - the most favourable time for the species
to rear its offspring. During the rut, bucks attempt to attract
the does to rutting stands from which they advertise their
presence by 'groaning' or 'troating' (a sound not unlike a loud
belch) as they continually move about their stands. Fierce fights
in which serious injuries can occur may break out at this time.
Fallow deer prefer an open forest environment with access to
denser escape cover and pasture for feeding grounds. They are
gregarious and with their exceptional eyesight, evolved no doubt
to suit the type of habitat they prefer, can detect movement at a
great distance. Alarm is immediately communicated to other
members of the group. Their eyesight is less effective at dusk,
when some liberties not possible during periods of strong light
can be taken when trying to approach them.
The deer of literature as it has sometimes been referred to is
due to the immense volume of material written about it. Like the
fallow deer, the red deer and related species are widely spread
throughout the world. The second largest of the deer in
Australia, a stag stands about 120cm at the shoulder and weighs
about 160kg (hinds 90cm, 90kg). Coat colour ranges from a dull
brown in winter coat to a rich reddish brown in summer; a
permanent straw-coloured rump or caudal patch is retained
throughout the year. Antlers are a complex combination of long
beams with numerous points or projections, the terminal tines at
the upper end of the beams sometimes forming a cuplike shape. A
stag with six points on each antler, comprising brow, bez, and
trez tines (pronounced 'bay' and 'tray') on the beam and with
three terminal tines (twelve in all for the two antlers) is
referred to as a 'royal', but exceptional park bred deer have
been known to have in excess of 50 points in all.
Introduced into Australia from Britain about 1860 (predominantly
from Windsor Great Park -- a gift from His Royal Highness Prince
Albert), releases subsequently took place in all mainland states.
The most successful of these releases was in Queensland, however
Victoria retains a thriving population in the Grampians National
Park and its surrounds.
In common with the fallow deer, and for the same reason, red deer
have a well defined rut or mating season. This is characterised
by stags wallowing in mud or dust and by spectacular 'roaring'
(this has been likened to that of a lion roaring) as they attempt
to intimidate rivals and round up a harem of hinds. Fighting
between closely matched stags may break out when intimidatory
displays (threats) are unsuccessful in establishing dominance.
Red deer have adapted to a wide range of habitats ranging from
treeless expanses of heather-and bracken covered hills and
mountains typical of Scotland, to the densely forested range in
parts of Europe. In open range, red deer are capable of detecting
the slightest movement at extraordinary distances. In dense
cover, eyesight, particularly on stationary objects, is not as
effective, but the acute senses of hearing and smell more than
adequately compensate.
