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Rusa Deer (Rusa timorensis)

Rusa is the Malay word for deer and they are medium sized, rough-coated deer which are biologically allied to the sambar. However, the two species are quite different in size, appearance and behaviour. There are two subspecies established in the wild in Australia and the Javan rusa (Rusa timorensis russa) is the larger. Stags stand up to 110cm at the shoulder and may weigh around 136kg while hinds are considerably smaller at 95cm and 60kg.

The coat hair is coarse and sparse and generally a greyish brown in colour although the shade varies between the age groups and sexes and also season-ally. The under- parts including the chest and throat are a light grey, almost white in some cases, which is a striking contrast to the main body colour, and there is a line of dark hair which runs down the chest between the forelegs.

A rusa stag’s antlers are quite large, in comparison with its body size, and very distinctive with a typical lyre shape. There is a brow tine, which is often curved, and a terminal fork at the end of the main beam. The thicker part of the main beam continues on into the back tine and this is normally considerably larger than the front tine. In good conditions, a mature rusa stag may grow antlers up to and sometimes exceeding 76cm in length. Most stags cast their antlers in January or February.

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Present situation

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