Chital Deer

• Common Name: Chital Deer

• Family Name: Cervidae

• Scientific Name: Axis Axis

• Shoulder Height: 90cm

• Weight: 85cm

• Lifespan: 12 years

• Gestation: 225 days

• Young: 3 in 2 years

• Status: Introduced, Not Protected​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

• Weaned: (pre-rut) 3 to 4 months, (post-rut) 7 - 8 months​

• Background: Chital deer originate from India, Indonesia, Sri Lanka and the Philippines.

• Breeding: Chital deer have less distinct seasons but generally give birth during the spring.

• Impacts: Agricultural production by eating pasture, crops and forestry saplings and damaging fences and infrastructure. Autumn marks the ‘rut’ or breeding season for feral deer, bringing increased risks to people, livestock, and the environment. During this time, male deer (bucks) become highly aggressive as they search for mates. They clash with rivals, damage trees, churn up paddocks, and wallow in waterways, causing serious environmental degradation. They can also potentially carry foot-and-mouth disease and parasites that can be transmitted to livestock and can also pose a risk to human health through zoonotic diseases like leptospirosis.

• Chital and Fallow deer are similar in appearance, however, Chital deer have a striking white upper throat and Fallow deer have a white heart shaped marking on its rump surrounded by a black or brown border.

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