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Horton Plains Sambar deer (Rusa unicolor) mineral foraging: bone gnawing and stream licks?

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Sarah Antler•905 rep

Why do wild Sambar stags on Horton Plains actively gnaw on fallen animal bones and consume mineral-rich stream clays during antler calcification?

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4 Answers from travellers

✓Accepted Answer

The massive multi-tined antlers grown annually by Sambar Deer stags (Rusa unicolor) on Horton Plains require enormous biological investment in calcium, phosphorus, and trace minerals. Because high-altitude montane soils and acidic peat bogs (pH 4.0) leach minerals out of local vegetation, Sambar exhibit osteophagia (bone gnawing). Stags and hinds search forest floors for fallen skeletal remains of conspecifics or predators, chewing on dry bones to absorb dietary calcium and phosphate. They also ingest mineral-rich clay deposits exposed along stream headwaters in patana hollows.

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Dr Bandara DWC•1890 rep

Stags shed their heavy antlers between January and March, immediately initiating a new growth cycle that demands intense mineral foraging across the plateau.

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Sarah Antler•905 rep

Habituated Sambar near the park visitor center often ingest non-food items, including plastic wrap and paper, highlighting the danger of litter.

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Prof Gamhewage Bio•1950 rep

Park wardens patrol grasslands to ensure tourists maintain safe viewing distances from large stags during rutting season.

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Sarah Field Scout•1720 rep

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