A man and his young daughter had an unexpected wildlife encounter in Singapore on Sunday, April 2, when a sambar deer crossed the road right in front
A man and his young daughter had an unexpected wildlife encounter in Singapore on Sunday, April 2, when a sambar deer crossed the road right in front of them in broad daylight.
As they drove through an area surrounded by greenery, the deer hurriedly dashed across the road into nearby bushes after spotting the approaching car. The father, clearly excited, exclaimed, “No, no, no, it’s a deer. Oh my gosh. Oooh. I told you, right!”
In response to comments online, the man shared that the sighting took place at Chestnut Park around 3:30 p.m. He humorously added that his daughter later asked why he was so excited when they could see a deer at the zoo anytime.
Background:
Sambar deer sightings in Singapore are typically rare and occur mostly at night. Once thought to be extinct here by the 1950s, their population is slowly making a comeback. In 1997, only three deer were estimated to be in the wild. By 2021, the National Parks Board reported around 15 sambar deer in the country, with more recent sightings suggesting their population is increasing in forested areas like the Central Catchment Nature Reserve and Bukit Timah.
Historically, several sambar deer escaped from zoos in Singapore during the 1970s. A recent study indicated that the deer population has been growing, although the development of an eco-tourism hub in Mandai has displaced some of them. Increased sightings in areas like MacRitchie and Bukit Timah suggest they are adapting to new habitats.
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