Agility: Sambar deer

[Bhargava Srivari]

Way of Life: A Sambar deer shot in Pench earlier this month. It seemed like this particular deer was bored of feeding on the same kind of grass that grows lower on the grund and was looking for some variety!

canon EOS 60D, canon 100-400 L IS f4.5-5.6 USM
f5.6, 1/60sec, ISO 800, EV +0.7, 135mm, evaluativ metering.

[Sabyasachi Patra]

I think flexibility would be a more appropriate term.

Deers and Sambar's routinely feed on leaves and flowers by standing their hind legs. I have seen Sambar's even tearing off bark of trees.

I like this pose and it is good that you got eye contact here. The sharpening needs to be toned down a bit.

On another note, I just read P D Stracey's book. He has mentioned that once an injured Sambar attacked an elephant startling the elephant.
Thanks for sharing.

Cheers,
Sabyasachi

[Saktipada Panigrahi]

Nice image. Nice pose,well composed. Sambar are versatile in their feeding,grazing on grasses and other herbs,browsing leaves and twigs and eating forest fruits. Sambar of Sariska T.R and Hazaribagh N.P were known to attain very large size( both visited and seen by me long back in early 70's, present fate not known).Thanks for sharing.SaktiWild

[Mrudul Godbole]

Nice behavior photographed. The light was bad else a higher shutter speed would have been good. The composition is nice. So any tiger sighting in Pench? Thanks for sharing.

[Bhargava Srivari]

Thanks Mrudul. On the last safari, we did see four of Collarwali's cubs feeding on a kill, but they were inside thick lantanna thereby not allowing any half decent images too :( I did shoot all I could of the cubs..will have to see if something's postable :/

thanks