Sambar Deer (Rusa unicolor) enclosure

This herd has a spacious,muddy enclosure which used to be of the Sumatran Rhino (Dicerorhinus sumatrensis). I assume that all rhino\'s that had been kept here died at some point. Being very difficult to keep in captivity, I wonder if this enclosure provided them with enough shade and hiding-places. For now, its the home of this large, noisy herd of elegant Sambar deer.

I think Lok Kawi has only ever had just the one rhino and this really was a pretty shabby enclosure for it. When I was there (2009) the enclosure held the rhino and at least 23 sambar. I hadn't realised the rhino was no longer at the zoo.

I don't know if they've only had this one Rhino throughout the zoo's existence. I visited the Malakka zoo in 2007, hoping to encounter the Sumatran Rhino, but even there the keeper told me that the Rhino's were brought in from time to time, but had never survived for more than a couple of months. Eventually I was able to see them at the Cincinnati zoo, where they're also being bred. They got a whole 'specialized' enclosure for the Rhino's.

Are you sure they are Sambar. All the ones in Australia have more rounded ears. Those seem to have pointy ears and don't look quite as sold as Sambar. Their body shape is more like Rusa.

Wow! What a remarkable observation! You know, I 'struggled' with the same question when I posted these pictures. The 'problem' with the animals photographed here is that the stags lack the fully grown antlers which are decisive as to whether its a Rusa unicolor (Sambar) or Rusa timorensis (Javan Rusa). I assumed these are Rusa unicolor as they seem to be "bulkier" and darker than Rusa timorensis. Nevertheless, you may be right! I won't be surprised if these animals were wild caught, brought in and, even though there were two species, put together into one enclosure. I've seen that happen before. In any case, I found your reply to be very refreshing, as most people tend to pass by the 'mundane' deer-species without noticing any difference…

It is a very common discussion in Australia as we have Rusa which were introduced around Sydney and spread out and Sambar released in Victoria and have spread a lot. The two population are beginning to meet and there are a few hybrids occurring.
We also have the different populations of Moluccan Russa and Javan Russa. There are some isolated populations of Moluccan Russa in Queensland, which is one of the rarest mammal species. The discussion gets even more difficult when it is about sub species of Rusa deer and their conservation value, depending on weather they are hybrids or pure.

they were definitely sambar in with the rhino when I was there (2009) but apparently there were rusa in there when Writhedhornbill was there a few years earlier. They do have both species at Lok Kawi; perhaps they move them around between enclosures.