Sambar
is the largest member of the deer family lives in the country. It is distributed
throughout the island where sizable forest lands or grasslands still remains. However
due to illegal poaching in other areas Sambar is today almost restricted to the
protected national parks.
Horton plains are the only place where Sambar is seen
in herds of considerable size. Except man the main predator of Sambar is the leopard
while Crocodiles, Pythons and Jackals sometime take fawns. They are mostly
active during night and grazing on grasses and take leaves and shoots of
plants. Again exception can be seen in Horton plains where they may feed in the
evening and early morning.
