Injured sambar deer put to sleep after being hit by car in Mandai

A rare sambar deer was put to sleep after it was severely injured in a road accident in Mandai Road.

A National Parks Board (NParks) spokesman, responding to queries from The Straits Times, said the board was alerted to an accident involving a car and a sambar deer at about 5.15pm on July 24.

NParks immediately asked Mandai Wildlife Group for veterinary assistance, as its offices are located in Mandai Lake Road, near the accident spot.

Mr How Choon Beng, NParks group director of wildlife management, said: "As the deer's injuries were assessed to be severe, it was jointly agreed by NParks and Mandai to humanely euthanise it on site on welfare grounds."

The driver and passenger in the car were unharmed, he added.

In a video circulating on social media platform TikTok, the injured sambar deer is seen lying on the road near a car with a damaged front bumper, likely from the impact of the accident.

Mr How said motorists should drive within the speed limit and stay alert for animals crossing roads flanked by forested areas, especially where there are signs to indicate animal crossings.

He added that people should not handle injured wild animals on their own. For wildlife in need of urgent rescue, people can contact NParks' 24-hour Animal Response Centre on 1800-476-1600, he said.

NParks said it receives an average of three reports a year involving vehicular-related incidents with sambar deer, including cases of non-fatal cases where the animals escape into the forest.

The number does not take into account unreported accidents, it added.

In December 2024, a sambar deer died after an accident involving a lorry and a motorcycle in Mandai Road. Another died in an accident involving a taxi in July 2024.

An NParks study carried out in 2021 estimated there were about 15 wild sambar deer here.

Another study in 2023 found that the sambar deer were making a comeback, following the escape of several animals from public and private local zoos in the 1970s.

According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature website, sambar deer are believed to be at high risk of extinction in the wild.

Their natural habitat includes forested areas and grasslands, but their tendency to roam - especially during mating season - often brings them to the roads and in contact with vehicles.