Something Unkown about Kakkar

[Debasis Bose]

The Canine teeth of Muntjac or Barking Deer or Kakkar, inferring they are Omnivorous. After photographing 100's of barking deer over past 10 years, succeeded to click the canines of barking deer last visit.

Till date have never met a person who is aware that barking deer are omnivorous, rather everyone was surprised, when I told them that they are supposedly opportunistic predators too, as per some researchers.

As per record their diet consist of grass, thorn bushes, leaves, bark, twigs, herbs, fruit, sprouts, seeds, tender shoots, bird eggs and small warm-blooded animals.

I have never observed though and needs to be confirmed in India if any one had observed these deer eating egg or meat. In cold climate where vegetation decimates during snowfall, it has been observed these deer resort to meat and eggs laid on ground, even evidence is there they steal morsel from kills of regular carnivore. Some months back it was recorded chital were munching bones from long dead caracas, also chitals have been observed to eat dead crab shell for calium, but Chitals do not have canines hence cannot hunt. And Barking deer posses canines that grow from upper jaw is known to hunt small mammals.

Appreciate views and comments

Nikon D4s, Nikon 300 F4 FL lens, Shot @ 300 F5, ISO 2000, 1/500s. Corbett