Barasingha (Rucervus duvaucelii) lives in grassy wetlands across Indian subcontinent. It feeds on grasses and leaves. Its conservation status is Vulnerable.
Fascinating facts about the Barasingha
- Barasingha stags grow antlers with far more tines than any other Indian deer, typically bearing ten to fourteen points and occasionally reaching up to twenty. This abundance of tines gives the species its distinctive appearance and has earned it the Hindi name bārah-singgā, meaning "twelve-horned". The antlers' multi-tined structure sets the swamp deer apart in the subcontinent's cervid community.
- A typical barasingha antler measures about 76 cm around the curve, but the species can produce truly massive trophies. The longest recorded antler reached 104.1 cm around the curve, far surpassing the average size. Such exceptional growth highlights the deer's capacity for impressive horn development, a trait prized by wildlife observers.
- The barasingha's Hindi name, bārah-singgā, translates directly to "twelve-horned", a reference to its unusually numerous antler points. This naming stems from the species' antlers carrying more than three tines, a feature absent in other Indian deer. Mature males usually display ten to fourteen tines, with some individuals sporting as many as twenty, reinforcing the literal meaning of the name.
- In the late 1960s the Kanha herd was on the brink of extinction, with only about 66 individuals recorded in 1970. A long-term conservation programme was then launched, introducing grassland and swamp restoration together with strict limits on livestock grazing to curb disease spread. These actions sparked steady growth, so that by the early 2000s the population had risen to several hundred animals.
- The western swamp deer, the nominate subspecies, is especially suited to water-logged plains, possessing splayed hooves that distribute its weight on flooded grasslands of the Indo-Gangetic Plain. This adaptation lets it move through shallow water and soft ground where other deer would struggle.
Sources
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At a glance
RangeIndian subcontinent
HabitatGrassy wetlands
DietGrasses and leaves
About the Barasingha
In the mist-shrouded wetlands of northern India, the barasingha, a majestic deer with a coat of tawny brown, moves with stealthy elegance, its slender legs barely disturbing the tall grasses as it navigates its fragile habitat. With a quiet strength, it forages for aquatic plants, its large, dark eyes ever-vigilant for the presence of predators, its very existence a testament to the delicate balance of this threatened ecosystem. As it raises its antlered head, the morning light dances across its wet coat, casting a fleeting glow on a creature that is both beautiful and vulnerable.
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