The hog deer is Sri Lanka’s rarest and most elusive deer, and was thought to be extinct a few decades ago. Classified as critically endangered within the nation, it now survives only in fragmented patches along the island’s southwestern coastal belt, making it a species of urgent conservation concern.

Unlike the more visible spotted deer (Axis axis ceylonensis), sambar (Rusa unicolor unicolor) and barking deer (Cervus muntjak), the hog deer (Axis porcinus) prefers marshy scrub forests adjoining wetlands. But with these habitats vanishing, the animal has adapted to human-modified landscapes, finding refuge in cinnamon plantations, rice fields and vegetable orchards. Today, most sightings come from the southern district of Galle, particularly between the Bentota and Gin rivers.

To read the full story visit https://news.mongabay.com/2025/09/an-elusive-deer-species-clings-to-survival-in-sri-lankas-south/

Photo credit: Wildlife Conservation Society of Galle (WCSG)