Home / Regular Issue / JST Vol. 30 (1) Jan. 2022 / JST-2872-2021

 

Comparative Study on the Social Behavior of Sambar Deer (Rusa Unicolor) in Three Selected Captive Facilities in Peninsular Malaysia

Kushaal Selvarajah, Mohd Noor Hisham Mohd Nadzir and Geetha Annavi

Pertanika Journal of Science & Technology, Volume 30, Issue 1, January 2022

DOI: https://doi.org/10.47836/pjst.30.1.29

Keywords: Captivity, ex-situ conservation, generalized linear model, sambar deer, social behavio

Published on: 10 January 2022

Sambar deer was up-listed from Least Concern to Vulnerable by the IUCN Red list in 2015. The local government has initiated Ex-situ conservation efforts to boost sambar deer numbers in captivity and reintroduce them into the wild. The reproductive success of sambar deer and their welfare management practices in captivity are important components for effective captive breeding programs. However, there has been a lack of study on sambar deer in recent years, especially about their behavior in captivity. This study aimed to identify environmental factors that may influence the behavior of the captive sambar. Three captive sites were selected and observed for an average of 40 days at each site (minimum 37 days to maximum 43 days, 6 hours/day). A Generalized Linear Model was used to determine the correlation between social behavior and extrinsic parameters. ‘Captive sites’ showed the strongest correlation in behavioral variability environmental settings, such as the size of the enclosure, could force the deer to spend more time in a herd, which increases the frequency in grooming, which was recorded to be highest in Zoo Negara compared to other captive sites. Time of day also significantly influenced certain behavior skewed towards morning slots. It could be due to an adaptive behavior to the feeding time in the captive sites being often in the morning, which caused the deer to rest towards the afternoon. A suggestion would be to create a more erratic feeding schedule to ensure that the deer adapt to behavior variations. An extensive study needs to be done on sambar deer to pinpoint the specifics and better understand these possible influential factors in their behavior.

  • Aun, P. K., & Rahman, S. (1989). Ethogram of captive sambar deer Cervus unicolor at Zoo Melaka. The Journal of Wildlife and Parks, 8, 62-70.

  • Arumugam, K. A., & Buesching, C. D. (2019). Lip licking behaviour in captive Malayan Tapirs (Tapirus indicus) manifestation of a stereotypic or stress related response? International Journal of Recent Advances in Multidisciplinary Research, 6(3), 4724-4727.

  • Bhattarai, B. P., & Kindlmann, P. (2018). Factors affecting population composition and social organization of wild ungulates in the Chitwan National Park, Nepal. Journal of Institute of Science and Technology, 22(2), 156-167. https://doi.org/10.3126/jist.v22i2.19608

  • Chatterjee, D., Sankar, K., Qureshi, Q., Malik, P. K., Nigam, P., & Dun, D. (2014). Ranging pattern and habitat use of sambar (Rusa unicolor) in Sariska Tiger Reserve. DSG Newsletter, 26(May), 60-71.

  • Clubb, R., & Mason, G. (2003). Captivity effects on wide-ranging carnivores. Nature, 425(6957), 473-474. https://doi.org/10.1038/425473a

  • Couchman, R. C. (1978). Deer farming [Victoria]. Agriculture Bulletin-Department of Agriculture Victoria.

  • Goldthorpe, G., & Neo, S. H. (2011). A preliminary investigation into the effects of hunting on three large ungulate species in Peninsular Malaysia, with implications for tiger conservation. Malayan Nature Journal, 63(3), 549-560.

  • Gormley, A. M., Forsyth, D. M., Griffioen, P., Lindeman, M., Ramsey, D. S. L., Scroggie, M. P., & Woodford, L. (2011). Using presence-only and presence-absence data to estimate the current and potential distributions of established invasive species. Journal of Applied Ecology, 48(1), 25-34. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2664.2010.01911.x

  • Hart, B. L., Hart, L. A., Mooring, M. S., & Olubayo, R. (1992). Biological basis of grooming behaviour in antelope: The body-size, vigilance and habitat principles. Animal Behaviour, 44(4), 615-631. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0003-3472(05)80290-8

  • Hendrix, E., & Vos, R. A. (2019). Differentiation between wild and domesticated Ungulates based on ecological niches. BioRxiv. https://doi.org/10.1101/629188

  • Jaman, M. F., & Huffman, M. A. (2008). Enclosure environment affects the activity budgets of captive Japanese macaques (Macaca fuscata). American Journal of Primatology, 70(12), 1133-1144. https://doi.org/10.1002/ajp.20612

  • Kawanishi, K., Rayan, D. M., Gumal, M. T., & Shepherd, C. R. (2014). Extinction process of the sambar in Peninsular Malaysia. Deer Specialist Group Newsletter, 26, 48-59.

  • Lindburg, D. G., & Fitch‐Snyder, H. (1994). Use of behavior to evaluate reproductive problems in captive mammals. Zoo Biology, 13(5), 433-445. https://doi.org/10.1002/zoo.1430130506

  • Lu, L., Yan, P., Meng, X., Feng, J., Xu, H., Yang, Q., & Feng, Z. (2009). Behavioral patterns of captive alpine musk deer: Sex-specific behavior comparisons. Frontiers of Agriculture in China, 3(3), 300-303. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11703-009-0055-5

  • Mallapur, A., Qureshi, Q., & Chellam, R. (2002). Enclosure design and space utilization by Indian Leopards (Panthera pardus) in four zoos in Southern India. Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science, 5(2), 125-137. https://doi.org/10.1207/S15327604JAWS0502

  • Matsubayashi, H., Lagan, P., Majalap, N., Tangah, J., Sukor, J. R. A., & Kitayama, K. (2007). Importance of natural licks for the mammals in Bornean inland tropical rain forests. Ecological Research, 22(5), 742-748. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11284-006-0313-4

  • Meng, X., Zhao, C., Hui, C., & Luan, X. (2011). Behavioral aspects of captive alpine musk deer during non-mating season: Gender differences and monthly patterns. Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences, 24(5), 707-712. https://doi.org/10.5713/ajas.2011.10425

  • Minteer, B. A., & Collins, J. P. (2013). Ecological ethics in captivity: Balancing values and responsibilities in zoo and aquarium research under rapid global change. ILAR Journal, 54(1), 41-51. https://doi.org/10.1093/ilar/ilt009

  • Mooring, M. S., Benjamin, J. E., Harte, C. R., & Herzog, N. B. (2000). Testing the interspecific body size principle in ungulates: The smaller they come, the harder they groom. Animal Behaviour, 60(1), 35-45. https://doi.org/10.1006/anbe.2000.1461

  • Mooring, M. S., Blumstein, D. T., & Stoner, C. J. (2004). The evolution of parasite-defence grooming in ungulates. Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 81(1), 17-37. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1095-8312.2004.00273.x

  • Muir, P. D., Semiadi, G., Asher, G. W., Broad, T. E., Tate, M. L., & Barry, T. N. (1997). Sambar deer (Cervus unicolor) x red deer (C. elaphus) interspecies hybrids. Journal of Heredity, 88(5), 366-372. https://doi.org/10.1093/oxfordjournals.jhered.a023120

  • Pitsko, L. E. (2003). Wild tigers in captivity: A study of the effects of the captive environment on tiger behavior (Master Thesis). Virginia Tech, USA. http://www.carnivoreconservation.org/files/thesis/pitsko_2003_msc.pdf

  • Powell, D., Speeg, B., Li, S., Blumer, E., & McShea, W. (2013). An ethogram and activity budget of captive Sichuan takin (Budorcas taxicolor tibetana) with comparisons to other Bovidae. Mammalia, 77(4), 391-401. https://doi.org/10.1515/mammalia-2012-0076

  • Rajanarayanan, S., & Archunan, G. (2011). Identification of urinary sex pheromones in female buffaloes and their influence on bull reproductive behaviour. Research in Veterinary Science, 91(2), 301-305. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rvsc.2010.12.005

  • Razal, C., Bryant, J., & Miller, L. (2017). Monitoring the behavioral and adrenal activity of giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis) to assess welfare during seasonal housing changes. Animal Behavior and Cognition, 4(2), 154-164. https://doi.org/10.12966/abc.03.05.2017

  • Sellinger, R. L., & & Ha, J. C. (2005). The effects of visitor density and intensity on the behavior of two captive jaguars (Panthera onca). Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science, 8(776099595), 233-244. https://doi.org/10.1207/s15327604jaws0804

  • Semiadi, G., Barry, T. N., Muir, P. D., & Hodgson, J. (1995). Dietary preferences of sarnbar (Cervus unicolor) and red deer (Cervus elaphus) offered browse, forage legume and grass species. The Journal of Agricultural Science, 125(1), 99-107. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0021859600074554

  • Semiadi, G., Muir, P. D., & Barry, T. N. (1994). General biology of sambar deer (Cervus unicolor) in captivity. New Zealand Journal of Agricultural Research, 37(1), 79-85. https://doi.org/10.1080/00288233.1994.9513043

  • Semiadi, G., Muir, P. D., Barry, T. N., Crush, J. R., & Hodgson, J. (1993). Grazing patterns of sambar deer (Cervus unicolor) and red deer (Cervus elaphus) in captivity. New Zealand Journal of Agricultural Research, 36(2), 253-260. https://doi.org/10.1080/00288233.1993.10417761

  • Tan, W. S., Hamzah, N. A., Saaban, S., Zawakhir, N. A., Rao, Y., Jamaluddin, N., Cheong, F., Saat, N. I. M., Ee, E. N. Z., Hamdan, A., Chow, M. M., Low, C. P., Voon, M., Liang, S. H., Tyson, M., & Gumal, M. T. (2018). Observations of occurrence and daily activity patterns of ungulates in the Endau Rompin Landscape, Peninsular Malaysia. Journal of Threatened Taxa, 10(2), Article 11245. https://doi.org/10.11609/jott.3519.10.2.11245-11253

  • Tennessen, T. (1989). Coping with confinement - Features of the environment that influence animals’ ability to adapt. Applied Animal Behaviour Science, 22(2), 139-149. https://doi.org/10.1016/0168-1591(89)90050-6

  • Timmins, R., Kawanishi, K., Giman, B, Lynam, A., Chan, B., Steinmetz, R., Baral, H. S., & Kumar, N. S. (2015). Rusa unicolor. The IUCN Red List of Threated Species 2015.

  • Vidal, L. S., Guilherme, F. R., Silva, V. F., Faccio, M. C. S. R., Martins, M. M., & Briani, D. C. (2016). The effect of visitor number and spice provisioning in pacing expression by jaguars evaluated through a case study. Brazilian Journal of Biology, 76, 506-510. https://doi.org/10.1590/1519-6984.22814

  • Wong, A., Huaimei, Y., Wong, C., & Shukor, J. A. (2012). A study of hunting activity of sambar deer and bearded pig in Paitan Forest Reserve, Pitas, Sabah, Malaysia. Journal of Tropical Biology and Conservation, 9(1), 3 5-47.

  • Wong, S. T., Belant, J. L., Sollmann, R., Mohamed, A., Niedballa, J., Mathai, J., Street, G. M., & Wilting, A. (2019). Influence of body mass, sociality, and movement behavior on improved detection probabilities when using a second camera trap. Global Ecology and Conservation, 20, Article e00791. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gecco.2019.e00791

  • Xiaofeng, L., Changjie, Z., Cenyi, H., & Xiuxiang, M. (2011). Seasonal variation in the behavior of captive alpine musk deer, Moschus sifanicus, in Xinglongshan Musk Deer Farm, of China. Zoologia (Curitiba), 27(6), 848-852. https://doi.org/10.1590/s1984-46702010000600002

  • Yusof, N. S., Hussain, N. H. M., & Rusli, N. (2017). The relationship of heritage trees in urban heat island mitigation effect at Taiping, Perak, Malaysia. Malaysian Journal of Sustainable Environment, 3(2), 157-176. https://doi.org/10.24191/myse.v3i2.5601

ISSN 0128-7680

e-ISSN 2231-8526

Article ID

JST-2872-2021

Download Full Article PDF

Share this article

Recent Articles