Hog Deer

The Hog Deer is not as commonly seen as its cousins like the spotted deer or sambar deer. Yet, it does not yet, thankfully, feature in the endangered list. It has a life expectancy of 20 - 30 years. That is, if it manages to escape the attention of predator that long. It grows to a height of approximately 60cm at the shoulders. It is one of the smaller members of the deer family and a fully grown adult mostly weighs in between 20 - 30 kgs. The male members of the species have antlers that can reach lengths of around 30cm, which have a distinctive 3 point formation.

A pretty rare Hog Deer sighting amidst the savanah grasslands of Dhikala in Corbett N.P.

Rutting takes place during the months of autumn and the antlers are shed in spring. They mainly feed on grass, which is why they are mostly spotted in grasslands across the plains and low foothills of northern India. They are, more often than not, seen as solitary animals. However, during the mating season, which ranges around the month of September, they can also be seen in pairs grazing in the alluvial grass plains. The gestation period of these shy creatures is 8 months. One of the ways of identifying them is from the "not long enough" appearance of their legs in comparison to their bodies. If alarmed by you or any suspicious movement or sound, you can also identify them from their long raised tails which are white on the underside. However, this behaviour is not unique to them among the deer species.

Although the Hog Deer can be seen in various parks of India like Corbett, Manas and Dudhwa, the best sighting chances, and that too in pretty large numbers, is at the Kazirangha N.P.