Behaviour of sambar deer, (Rusa unicolor Kerr) at different captive facilities in Malaysia
Sambar deer (Rusa unicolor) is listed as Vulnerable under the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List. In Malaysia, its population is expected to be less than 700 left in the wild. Yet, this species is often seen only as a prey species to the Malayan tiger (Panthera tigris)...
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| Main Author: | |
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| Format: | Thesis |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
2022
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/104233/1/FS%202022%2018%20IR.pdf |
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| Summary: | Sambar deer (Rusa unicolor) is listed as Vulnerable under the International
Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List. In Malaysia, its population is
expected to be less than 700 left in the wild. Yet, this species is often seen only
as a prey species to the Malayan tiger (Panthera tigris). The lack of published
study in captivity and in the wild was a concern. The purpose of this study was
to update the last study that was done in captivity on sambar deer and to better
understand their behaviour on an individual and social behaviour in such
settings. Direct and indirect observations were used for data collection purposes
in all three sites. We had found there were differences in behaviour among the
three captive sites namely Zoo Negara, Zoo Taiping and Sungkai Conservation
Center that were researched. Our findings show that the tested factors such as
temperature and sex do affect the behaviour of captive sambar on both observed
social and individual behaviours. Behaviour such as foraging time was highly
influenced by the feeding time at each captive site which also concurrently
changed the behaviour and time spent on other behaviour such as rumination
and sitting. Having a fixed feeding time may have altered or conditioned the
captive population. A more sporadic or unscheduled feeding time may benefit
and more importantly mimic their natural behaviour in the wild where foraging
may be opportunistic. The study shows that there are several factors such as
temperature that influence the behaviour and activity spent by sambar deer in
captivity specific to the sites in this study. In addition, it was shown that
temperature and time of day influenced the selective behaviour, both in observed
individual and social behaviour. The notion of captive welfare is still a handle that
is hard to grasp in the Malaysian context, hence the need for relevant
stakeholders to take initiative to improve our animal’s welfare. In addition, more
in depth and longer duration of behavioural observation needs to be carried out
in order to understand sambar deer in captivity. |
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