# Sambar deer

> The sambar (Rusa unicolor) is Indonesia's largest deer, found in the forests of Sumatra and Borneo; it is Vulnerable and protected in Indonesia.

Source: https://panduanhewan.org/en/species/sambar-deer/ · Updated 25 September 2026 · English · Bahasa Indonesia: https://panduanhewan.org/id/spesies/rusa-sambar/
_This Markdown mirror is generated at build time from the same data as the HTML page. Cite the HTML page URL and its update date._

**Review status:** Compiled and checked against the listed sources; not yet reviewed by a specialist.

## Quick answer

The Sambar deer (*Rusa unicolor*) is a mammal in the family Cervidae. Its IUCN Red List category is Vulnerable.

| Fact | Value |
|---|---|
| Scientific name | *Rusa unicolor* |
| Indonesian name | Rusa sambar |
| Group | Mammals |
| Family | Cervidae |
| Range in Indonesia | Sumatra, Borneo, Bangka, Nias and the Mentawai Islands |
| Linked habitats | [Tropical Rainforests](https://panduanhewan.org/en/habitats/tropical-rainforest/) |
| Diet | Grass, understorey plants, leaves, fallen fruit and young bark |
| Range in Indonesia | Sumatra, Borneo and nearby islands such as Bangka and Nias |
| Key feature | Indonesia's largest deer; male antlers up to about one metre |
| Other names | Sambar, rusa sambar, Cervus unicolor |
| IUCN Red List status | Vulnerable |
| Legal protection in Indonesia | Protected (Ministerial Regulation P.106/2018) |
| IUCN status | Vulnerable · [IUCN Red List (via GBIF)](https://www.gbif.org/species/7261386) · checked 25 September 2026 |

## What is the sambar deer?

The sambar (Rusa unicolor) is Indonesia's largest deer, standing 1–1.6 m tall with a body about 1.5 m long, according to the forestry ministry's conservation directorate (KSDAE). KSDAE gives adult males as 90–125 kg and females as 80–90 kg, while Animal Diversity Web lists 109–260 kg across the species' whole range. The coat is short, coarse and dark, with paler underparts. Males have a thick neck mane and antlers with three or four tines, up to about 1 m long. It is still sometimes called Cervus unicolor. In Mandailing Natal, North Sumatra, local people call it ursa.

Evidence: [Ditjen KSDAE — Menjadi Rusa Terbesar di Indonesia, Ini yang Menarik dari Rusa Sambar (2022)](https://ksdae.kehutanan.go.id/publikasi/artikel/menjadi-rusa-terbesar-di-indonesia-ini-yang-menarik-dari-rusa-sambar-RWj2xNys/) · [Animal Diversity Web — Rusa unicolor (sambar)](https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Rusa_unicolor/) · [Mammal Diversity Database (ASM) — Rusa unicolor, Sambar](https://www.mammaldiversity.org/taxon/1006325/)

## Where does the sambar live?

In Indonesia, the sambar lives only in Sumatra, Borneo and some nearby islands. The Mammal Diversity Database lists Sumatra, Borneo, Nias, Siberut, Sipora and the Pagai Islands, and Mongabay Indonesia also reports it from the Bangka Belitung Islands. Beyond Indonesia, its range stretches from India and Sri Lanka to southern China, Taiwan and Peninsular Malaysia. Sambar live on gentle and steep forested slopes, in swamp forest and in open scrub, from the lowlands to the mountains. They often forage along forest edges and in clearings.

Evidence: [Mammal Diversity Database (ASM) — Rusa unicolor, Sambar](https://www.mammaldiversity.org/taxon/1006325/) · [Mongabay Indonesia — Dambus dan Kelestarian Rusa Sambar di Pulau Bangka (2022)](https://www.mongabay.co.id/2022/08/24/dambus-dan-kelestarian-rusa-sambar-di-pulau-bangka/) · [Animal Diversity Web — Rusa unicolor (sambar)](https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Rusa_unicolor/)

## What does the sambar eat?

The sambar is a herbivore that eats grasses, understorey plants, leaves, berries, fallen fruit, buds and the bark of young trees. Animal Diversity Web notes that it feeds mainly at dusk and at night, a habit thought to have developed in response to hunting by people. KSDAE describes it, like other ruminants, feeding on grasses and low-growing plants. While foraging it may help to disperse seeds. Near villages, however, sambar sometimes damage crops.

Evidence: [Animal Diversity Web — Rusa unicolor (sambar)](https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Rusa_unicolor/) · [Ditjen KSDAE — Menjadi Rusa Terbesar di Indonesia, Ini yang Menarik dari Rusa Sambar (2022)](https://ksdae.kehutanan.go.id/publikasi/artikel/menjadi-rusa-terbesar-di-indonesia-ini-yang-menarik-dari-rusa-sambar-RWj2xNys/)

## How do sambar deer breed?

Sambar can mate at any time of year, and a female usually gives birth to a single fawn after a pregnancy of eight to nine months. According to Animal Diversity Web, a newborn weighs about 10 kg, has a brown coat with pale spots that soon fade, and stays with its mother for one to two years. Females mature at around two years old. Males live alone and become aggressive in the rutting season, while females often group with other females and their young. A male's antlers drop about a year after growing, then regrow. Sambar are also strong swimmers.

Evidence: [Animal Diversity Web — Rusa unicolor (sambar)](https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Rusa_unicolor/) · [Ditjen KSDAE — Menjadi Rusa Terbesar di Indonesia, Ini yang Menarik dari Rusa Sambar (2022)](https://ksdae.kehutanan.go.id/publikasi/artikel/menjadi-rusa-terbesar-di-indonesia-ini-yang-menarik-dari-rusa-sambar-RWj2xNys/)

## Why is the sambar threatened?

The sambar is threatened by hunting and habitat loss, and the IUCN Red List classes it as Vulnerable. In Aceh, Mongabay Indonesia reported in 2019 that hunting with snares and home-made guns was still going on. Deer meat was sold in markets and food stalls, and dried venison (dendeng) was even sold online. In September 2019, the Aceh conservation agency and a forest management unit seized 63 snares, mostly set for deer but also able to injure elephants and tigers. On Bangka Island, villagers now rarely see sambar as rivers and hills are lost to mining and large plantations.

Evidence: [Mongabay Indonesia — Meski Dilindungi, Perburuan Rusa Sambar Belum Berhenti (2019)](https://www.mongabay.co.id/2019/10/14/meski-dilindungi-perburuan-rusa-sambar-belum-berhenti/) · [Mongabay Indonesia — Dambus dan Kelestarian Rusa Sambar di Pulau Bangka (2022)](https://www.mongabay.co.id/2022/08/24/dambus-dan-kelestarian-rusa-sambar-di-pulau-bangka/) · [Ditjen KSDAE — Menjadi Rusa Terbesar di Indonesia, Ini yang Menarik dari Rusa Sambar (2022)](https://ksdae.kehutanan.go.id/publikasi/artikel/menjadi-rusa-terbesar-di-indonesia-ini-yang-menarik-dari-rusa-sambar-RWj2xNys/)

## How can the sambar be protected?

The most direct way to protect the sambar is not to hunt it, set snares or buy its meat, dendeng or antlers. Rusa unicolor is listed as a protected species under Ministerial Regulation P.106/2018. KSDAE stresses that catching, injuring, killing, keeping, transporting or trading a sambar, alive or dead, or any of its parts, is against the law. Report snares, poaching or deer meat for sale to the local BKSDA or national park office. Protecting forests also protects culture: on Bangka, the sambar inspired the shape of the dambus, a plucked lute now recognised as intangible cultural heritage.

Evidence: [JDIH Kemenko Infrastruktur — Permen LHK P.106/MENLHK/SETJEN/KUM.1/12/2018 tentang Jenis Tumbuhan dan Satwa yang Dilindungi (PDF)](https://jdih.kemenkoinfra.go.id/cfind/source/files/permen-lhk/permenlhk-nomor-p.106-tahun-2018.pdf) · [Ditjen KSDAE — Menjadi Rusa Terbesar di Indonesia, Ini yang Menarik dari Rusa Sambar (2022)](https://ksdae.kehutanan.go.id/publikasi/artikel/menjadi-rusa-terbesar-di-indonesia-ini-yang-menarik-dari-rusa-sambar-RWj2xNys/) · [Mongabay Indonesia — Dambus dan Kelestarian Rusa Sambar di Pulau Bangka (2022)](https://www.mongabay.co.id/2022/08/24/dambus-dan-kelestarian-rusa-sambar-di-pulau-bangka/)

## Common questions about the Sambar deer

### What is the scientific name of the Sambar deer?

The scientific name of the Sambar deer is *Rusa unicolor*, in the family Cervidae. In Indonesian it is called Rusa sambar.

### Where can the Sambar deer be found in Indonesia?

In Indonesia, this guide records the Sambar deer in: Sumatra, Borneo, Bangka, Nias and the Mentawai Islands.

Source-supported habitats: [Tropical Rainforests](https://panduanhewan.org/en/habitats/tropical-rainforest/).

### What does the Sambar deer eat?

Diet of the Sambar deer: grass, understorey plants, leaves, fallen fruit and young bark.

### What is the conservation status of the Sambar deer?

On the IUCN Red List, the Sambar deer is listed as Vulnerable: it is considered to face a high risk of extinction in the wild. Source: [IUCN Red List (via GBIF)](https://www.gbif.org/species/7261386), checked 25 September 2026.

This global category is separate from legal protection in Indonesia. To check whether the Sambar deer is a protected species, consult the current national list of [protected species](https://panduanhewan.org/en/glossary/#satwa-dilindungi) or contact the local [BKSDA](https://panduanhewan.org/en/bksda-offices/) (natural resources conservation office).

## Sources & references

1. [Ditjen KSDAE — Menjadi Rusa Terbesar di Indonesia, Ini yang Menarik dari Rusa Sambar (2022)](https://ksdae.kehutanan.go.id/publikasi/artikel/menjadi-rusa-terbesar-di-indonesia-ini-yang-menarik-dari-rusa-sambar-RWj2xNys/)
2. [Animal Diversity Web — Rusa unicolor (sambar)](https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Rusa_unicolor/)
3. [Mammal Diversity Database (ASM) — Rusa unicolor, Sambar](https://www.mammaldiversity.org/taxon/1006325/)
4. [Mongabay Indonesia — Dambus dan Kelestarian Rusa Sambar di Pulau Bangka (2022)](https://www.mongabay.co.id/2022/08/24/dambus-dan-kelestarian-rusa-sambar-di-pulau-bangka/)
5. [Mongabay Indonesia — Meski Dilindungi, Perburuan Rusa Sambar Belum Berhenti (2019)](https://www.mongabay.co.id/2019/10/14/meski-dilindungi-perburuan-rusa-sambar-belum-berhenti/)
6. [JDIH Kemenko Infrastruktur — Permen LHK P.106/MENLHK/SETJEN/KUM.1/12/2018 tentang Jenis Tumbuhan dan Satwa yang Dilindungi (PDF)](https://jdih.kemenkoinfra.go.id/cfind/source/files/permen-lhk/permenlhk-nomor-p.106-tahun-2018.pdf)

## Keep exploring

- [Timor deer](https://panduanhewan.org/en/species/timor-deer/)
- [Agile gibbon](https://panduanhewan.org/en/species/agile-gibbon/)
- [Banteng](https://panduanhewan.org/en/species/banteng/)
- [Bearded pig](https://panduanhewan.org/en/species/bearded-pig/)
- [Tropical Rainforests](https://panduanhewan.org/en/habitats/tropical-rainforest/)

---

Cite: PanduanHewan. (2026). Sambar deer. PanduanHewan.org. https://panduanhewan.org/en/species/sambar-deer/