Barasingha pictures and facts

The Barasingha (cervus duvaucelii) is a beautiful deer that makes its home in Nepal and India, however it is mainly found now in northern India. In this part of India it is known as dolhorina, while in the United States it is called swamp deer.They have beautiful racks of antlers which are known as tines. The tines usually average 12 to 14 tine, but over twenty have been reported. One thing that is different about these deer is that the female only goes into heat once a year, having one foal, although twins have been known to be born as well. . These animals have a life span of 25 years. In the wild they live in herds of around sixty. A herd contains nearly two times as many females as males. The males, or stags weigh between 170 to 180 kg,or between 370 to 400 pounds and stand 132 cm or 52 inches tall at the shoulder. The coloration of these deer is quite beautiful. They have a yellow to brown coat that is often colored by the mud they like to roll around in order to cool off when it's hot. They also appear shaggy, due to long coarse hairs on the outside of their coat. The velvet the males get on their antlers is rubbed off on trees and also thrashing through tall grass as part of the mating ritual. One predator that contributes to them being endangered is humans. Some hunters compare the taste of their meat to veal. Also tigers and leopards will attack and kill the barasingha. Another reason for the loss of these beautiful animals is attributed to loss of their habitat due to cultivation by man, mainly of eucalyptus and tree plantations. At one point in India it was thought the population of these lovely deer was reduced to only sixty four or sixty five. Thanks to conversation measures, their numbers have increased to between 450 to 600 in India. Some have been brought to the U.S and due to their hardy natures, conservation measures have been successful. Although their preferred habitats are boggy wetlands they have done well in conservation programs in Texas and Oklahoma. Thanks to conservation being undertaken in the U.S. and India, these animals have a good chance at being brought back in larger numbers and no longer being endangered.