Sambal or Sambar

It's so spicy! I can never understand why adults like to eat chilli with their food. The spiciness takes away all other flavours and stings your tongue. A little bit of it is ok, I like the tiny bit of spice in my prata curry or even by prawn mee soup, but to have it so stingingly bad is another thing altogether.

There is another Sambar in Singapore, the Sambar deer. You might have seen it on the news when it comes out at night and causes some traffic confusion (drive slower!). Did you know that Singapore is home to this beautiful deer? This amazing herbivore can grow antlers and can be as tall as 2m! What's even more amazing is that it still lives in the wild in our forests. Let's find out more about these animals.

Doe a deer, a female deer

Native to Asia, this deer can be found from India, all the way to Singapore or even Indonesia. They look very much like deers from other regions, with brown coats. You might see some pictures of the females who are smaller and do not have antlers. Females give birth to one fawn per year, making reproduction very very slow.

Favourite food

The Sambars are top of the menu of the tiger, who used to rule as Singapore's apex predator when they were around. Tigers would typically ambush these animals as they feed in the forest or when they are asleep. When tigers were hunted to extinction in Singapore, these Sambars continue to face challenges as we built more roads and homes across the island.

Survivors

It's sad to know that Sambar deers were nearly extinct in Singapore, but people think that zoo escapes likely help them make a comeback (what brave deers!). Mainly nocturnal, these deers usually come out at night to feed or explore the area. These deers can be found in the Central Catchment Area or the Bukit Timah Nature Reserve. The problem with these areas is that it is surrounded by highways, making it dangerous for these animals if they stray onto the highway at night. Thankfully they are a resilient bunch and people estimate that there are over 60 wild deers currently in Singapore!

The next time you drive past these areas, be sure to ask your parents to slow down and look out for our very own Sambal deers!