male deer riozoo

Quick correction: the animal was probably from the mainland sambar species (Rusa unicolor). I found a report from the 1970's which claims the zoo brought its sambars from India in 1955. The animals still living at the institution are probably their descendants and therefore, are likely to be from the same species as their ancestors (if the zoo had acquired Javan or any other species from the Rusa genus, those could have interbred/hybridized).

Muito Obrigado Enzo, the identification of this deer is finally solved.

Rio sent its last mainland sambar somewhere else after it was reopened as BioParque do Rio. The Rusa deer held there now are of the Javan species, but the male on the photo is Rusa unicolor.

Ok, I have made a mistake. There is a light patch on the deer's throat and it's antlers point outwards rather than inwards.

The population in Rio has suffered with massive bottlenecks due to disease and many new deer were obtained over fhe years, including Sunda sambar. There is also a possibility the news report I read about their origin confused Indonesia with India.

My final veredict: Rusa timorensis.