Fatal deer attack in a rutting season

Private Keeping of Dangerous Wild Animals in Great Britain

We analysed the licences issued by British local government authorities under the Dangerous Wild Animals Act 1976, which regulates the private keeping of wild animals categorised as "dangerous", to assess the scope and scale of private keeping of dangerous wild animals in Great Britain. Results are compared with historical data from England and Wales, showing that there has been an overall decrease both in the total population of dangerous wild animals privately kept under licence and the number of licences, resulting primarily from a decrease in the farming of wild boar and ostrich, and from certain other species no longer requiring a licence to be kept. Nonetheless, the private keeping of dangerous wild animals remains prevalent, with a total population of 3950 animals kept under licence, and at least one-third of local authorities in Britain licensing keepers of one or more such animals. The population of non-farmed dangerous taxa has increased by 59% in 20 years, with notable increases in crocodilians (198%), venomous snakes (94%), and wild cats (57%). We present evidence that the average cost of a licence to keep dangerous wild animals has fallen over time, and that there is a negative association between cost and licensing. The current schedule of species categorised as dangerous is compared to a formally recognised list of species kept in zoos assessed by risk to the public. Problems with the legislation, enforcement of the licensing system, and animal welfare for privately kept dangerous wild animals are identified and discussed.

Penetrating Injuries Following Spotted Deer Axis axis ceylonensis Attack

The spotted deer Axis axis is a Cervidae mammal that lives in most parts of Southeast Asia. Spotted deer attacks on humans are scarcely reported in the literature and are a rare phenomenon. A 31-y-old man was attacked by an unprovoked male spotted deer while supervising maintenance inside a deer enclosure. The victim received deep lacerations in the lower limbs and puncture wounds in the chest and abdomen. The victim made a full recovery after prompt management at a tertiary care hospital. The potential factors leading to this uncommon attack are discussed.

The Antler Cycle and Fecal Testosterone of Male Sambar Deer Rusa unicolor unicolor at the Horton Plains National Park in Sri Lanka

This study is aimed at evaluating the relationship between endogenous testosterone levels and antler development in male sambar deer (Rusa unicolor unicolor) inhabiting the Horton Plains National Park, Sri Lanka. Seven antler growth stages of sambar were documented based on phenotypic observations for the first time in Sri Lanka as (a) cast, (b) growing 1—single spike, (c) growing 2—antler fork into a Y as the second tine appears, (d) growing 3—velvet begins to harden as the third tine appears, (e) growth completed—velvet shedding begins, (f) hard antler, and (g) casting. Fecal samples were collected every month for a period of eighteen months from male sambar deer in different stages of the antler growth cycle, feeding in the wet patana grasslands of the park, and the fecal testosterone level was estimated by radioimmunoassay. Ten animals were randomly selected from each antler stage for the experiment. The results disclose that the highest concentrations of testosterone were recorded in the hard antler stage. Velvet shedding was preceded by an increase in the testosterone level, and it is the sudden drop in the testosterone concentration which triggers the antler casting. The casting stage corresponded with the lowest mean testosterone concentration. Although the study was able to conclude a clear relationship between the fecal testosterone levels of the male sambar deer in the Horton Plains National Park and their antler stages, there is no clear seasonality for the antler cycle.