Identification
Physical Characteristics:
Medium-sized ungulate within the order Artiodactyla. Body length approximately 1.3 – 1.5 meters. Weight ranges from 50 to 60 kg. The coat is short, soft, and typically yellowish-brown or gray-yellow. Dorsal hairs are longer and coarser, but do not form a mane. Antlers are small and slender, with 2-3 points (two secondary, one primary), smaller than those of the sambar deer but larger and longer than those of the muntjac. Antler bases are shorter than those of the muntjac.
Biology and Ecology
Diet:
Primarily consumes grasses and leaves found in moist areas near swamps, rivers, and streams.
Reproduction:
Reproductive behavior of the Fea’s Muntjac in Vietnam is not fully researched; studies in other regions indicate mating occurs in September and October. Gestation lasts approximately 8 months, with one offspring per birth.
Habitat and Social Behavior:
They inhabit open forests adjacent to swamps, rivers, and streams, at elevations not exceeding 1000 meters above sea level. They are nocturnal, foraging at night and resting during the day in dense thickets of reeds or wallowing in mud. They live in herds of 20-30 individuals, sometimes mixing with herds of sambar deer or other deer species.
Predators:
Natural predators include large carnivorous mammals.
Distribution
Vietnam: Kontum, Đắk Lắk, Lâm Đồng, Đồng Nai provinces.
Global: Pakistan, Nepal, Sri Lanka, China, Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia.
Value
A valuable and rare species. It can be domesticated and raised in farms or households (similar to the Sika deer) for velvet, meat, bones, and skin. It can also be raised in semi-natural settings within eco-tourism areas for ornamental and educational purposes.
Conservation Status
The Fea’s Muntjac has a limited distribution within a few areas with a water source and swamps. The population is small, estimated at 200-300 individuals. Their habitat is increasingly threatened by agricultural development and construction of reservoirs, leading to habitat loss.
Classification
EN A1c,d B2a,b,c
Conservation Measures
Included in the Vietnamese Red Book (1992, 2000) at category E and the IUCN Red List (2000). Hunting and trade are prohibited by Decree 18/HDBT and Decree 32/2006/ND-CP. There are restrictions or bans on logging in forests where Fea’s Muntjac reside. Efforts are in place to raise this species in zoos and national parks, create breeding programs for genetic conservation, and eventually facilitate domestication in households.