Rusa Deer

Common Name: Rusa Deer

Family Name: Cervidae

Scientific Name: Rusa Timorensis

Shoulder Height: 90cm

Weight: 100kg

Lifespan: 17 years

Gestation: 250 days

Young: 3 in 2 years

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

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

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

Breeding: Rusa 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 and Endogenous Betaretrovirus.

Rusa deer can hybridise with sambar deer and produce fertile offspring. They can also hybridise with red deer, but only produce fertile female offspring

Feral deer information.

Feral deer locations.

Report feral deer sightings using the online FeralScan App​​​.

A field guide identifying feral deer.