Ng Huiwen Straits Times 5 Feb 18;
SINGAPORE - A rare sambar deer died after it was hit by a vehicle in Mandai Road on Saturday evening (Feb 3).
Emergency medical technician Muhammad Iqbal Zainudin told The Straits Times on Monday that he was driving to work at about 8.30pm when he saw the animal standing in a pool of blood in the middle of the road, with some metal debris nearby.
"The deer looked injured and it was struggling. I stopped my car and took out a torchlight to direct traffic away from it," said the 29-year-old. "I didn't see the driver there any more."
The deer eventually stumbled to a grass patch at the side of the road, where it died.
Mr Iqbal posted photos and a video on Facebook on Saturday that showed the animal bleeding from its mouth, with injuries seen on its leg as well.
He told ST that two other passers-by were with him at the time.
One of them tried to calm the deer down, as it looked to be in distress but Mr Iqbal had advised him against doing so.
"I was worried that the deer would get scared if we approach it and it would run towards the road," he added. "That would have been very dangerous."
Mr Iqabal contacted the Animal Concerns Research & Education Society (Acres) and two rescue officers arrived in about 15 minutes.
Traffic Police also arrived soon after to help manage traffic.
The carcass of the deer was recovered by Wildlife Reserves Singapore and is being examined.
Mr Iqbal said that while he has heard of deer sightings in the area and previously seen wild boars near Mandai Road, this was the first time he had come across a sambar deer.
The Agri-Food & Veterinary Authority of Singapore (AVA) told ST that it did not receive feedback on this specific case.
However, it said that the public "should slow down when they come across wildlife on the roads".
"Wildlife are more commonly sighted near forested areas," said AVA. "Some of these areas include Lentor Avenue, the Ayer Rajah Expressway (around Tuas) and the Bukit Timah Expressway (near the Eco-Link). AVA has worked with LTA to put up signage to alert motorists to wildlife crossings at these areas."
Earlier this year, a sambar deer was caught on video dashing across Mandai Road in a split-second appearance.
Sambar deer are found in Asia, including India, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, southern China, Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines.
Also known as sambaur deer, it eats leaves, fruits and bugs. Males can grow up to 2m tall including antlers, and weigh up to 260kg, while females are two-thirds the size of males or smaller. They can live up to 20 years in the wild.
In Singapore, they are typically found in areas around MacRitchie Nature Reserve and Upper Seletar Reservoir.
