Completed
Sambar
Rusa unicolor
Silhouette: Steven Traver · PhyloPic
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassMammalia (Mammals)
- OrderArtiodactyla (Even-toed Ungulates and Cetaceans)
- FamilyCervidae (Deer)
- GenusRusa (Rusa Deer)
- SpeciesRusa unicolor (Sambar)
In 3 days >90%
61 Verified sightings at Bandhavgarh National Park From 2019 to 2026
2,296 In all 28 parks
May Best month
🌅 Crepuscular When it's spotted
About the Sambar
The sambar (Rusa unicolor) is a large deer native to the Indian subcontinent, South China and Southeast Asia. It has been listed as a vulnerable species on the IUCN Red List since 2008, as populations have declined substantially due to hunting, local insurgency, and industrial exploitation of habitat.
Genetic analysis shows that the closest living relative of the sambar is most likely the Javan rusa of Indonesia. This is supported by reports that sambar can still interbreed to produce fertile hybrids with this species.
Fossil sambar are known from the early Pleistocene, although they are very similar in form to early deer species from the Pliocene, with less of a resemblance to more modern cervines. The species probably arose in the tropical reaches of southern Asia, and later spread across its current range. Epirusa and Eucladoceros have both been proposed as possible ancestors of the living species and its closest relatives.
Seven sambar subspecies are recognised: The appearance and the size of the sambar vary widely across its range, which has led to considerable taxonomic confusion in the past; over 40 different scientific... Wikipedia →
Recent sightings of Sambar in Bandhavgarh National Park
LIVEiNaturalistGlobal Distribution
Parks Where Found
Cities Where Found
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Melbourne | 🇦🇺 Australia |
Zoos & Centres Where Found
Closest Relatives at Bandhavgarh National Park
Before you go
What are the chances of seeing a Sambar in Bandhavgarh National Park?
Very likely
About 80% of wildlife watchers report a Sambar sighting in Bandhavgarh National Park on a given day, based on 61 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 4th most-seen of the 14 mammals we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to over 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.
When is the best time to see a Sambar in Bandhavgarh National Park?
February, April–June and October
In those months about 80% of wildlife watchers report a Sambar in Bandhavgarh National Park on a given day, against about 10% in March, the lowest month. Those are among Bandhavgarh National Park's driest months, with about 45 mm of rain a month against 400 mm in August. July to September have too few records to rate.
What time of day is best to see a Sambar?
Between 3 and 6 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Sambar sightings with a recorded time, and about 7 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is most active around dawn and dusk.
Is Bandhavgarh National Park the best place to see a Sambar?
Among the best
Of the 28 parks where we can rate Sambar sightings, Bandhavgarh National Park ranks 3rd at about 80%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Ranthambore National Park (India, about 80%) and Khao Yai National Park (Thailand, about 80%). All parks ranked.
Which relatives of the Sambar live in Bandhavgarh National Park?
Same family: Cervidae
The closest relatives of the Sambar that you can see in Bandhavgarh National Park (family Cervidae, Deer) are Axis Deer (about 80%) and Indian Muntjac (about 50%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
Where does the Sambar sighting chance come from?
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Sambar is recorded against all the mammals logged in Bandhavgarh National Park (61 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
