Rescued — Infant Sambar Deer

Meet ‘Salee’ the infant Samber deer (Rusa unicolor) who was rescued two days ago. We were told that she had been taken from the wild a few weeks ago as she was found in the forest without her mother. She was then given to the person who called us for help. It is likely that her mother was poached or had ‘hidden’ her while she was grazing. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species lists this species as Vulnerable (VU) to extinction in the wild. It is hunted for sport, food, medicinal products and other purposes. Habitat encroachment and hunting are both widespread in the Sundaic region and in much of the rest of Sambar’s range.For now, little Salee seems to be strong and is both drinking milk and eating some solid foods. We will keep you posted on her progress.