Spotted Chital Deer grazing in the highly endangered Sundarbans

Young chital deer graze on the banks of the world's largest halophytic mangrove forest.The spotted deer, or chital, is the most common deer species in Indian forests. With a lifespan of about 20 to 30 years, it stands at about 35 inches tall and weighs about 187 pounds. The deer’s golden-rufus colouring is speckled with white spots, and it has a white underbelly. Its curved, three-pronged antlers extend nearly 3 feet and shed each year. Due to these tropical conditions, males do not have synchronized antler cycles. The size and hardness of a male’s antlers demonstrate their dominance; those with velvet antlers that are still growing or have no horns at all are unlikely to fight for a female’s attention. Spotted deer most commonly occur in herds of 10 to 50 individuals, with one or two males and a number of females and young. They primarily eat grasses and vegetation but will also ingest their shed antlers as a source of nutrients.