deers in australia

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.


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.


Chital (Axis axis) :
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.
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.


Hog Deer (Axis porcinus):
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.


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.
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.


Fallow Deer (Dama dama):
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 beamsFallow 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.