'Poor deer was so freaked out': Woman claims workers were chasing animal, warns people to stay away

Christmas is long over, but it seems Rudolph can't catch a break.

A woman spotted some workers chasing a buck around a street at night, scaring it, according to a video post she made on Facebook group Singapore Wildlife Sightings on Monday (Jan 29).

It is unclear where the video was taken although sambar deer can be found in parts of the Central Catchment Nature Reserve near MacRitchie and Bukit Timah.

Samantha Dorai said she was leaving in her car after feeding community dogs when she suddenly saw a medium-sized buck "panicking and stuck in the middle of the road".

More shocking, however, was that there were workers who were chasing it "for fun".

In the video, a young buck on a road can be seen dashing away from something out of sight of Dorai's camera, zooming past a construction truck before taking a glance backwards and heading into a thicket. 

"I came out of my car to tell them not to," she angrily recounted. "Poor thing, the deer was so freaked out."

In the comments of her post, Dorai added that the workers "backed down" after she spoke to them at length about wildlife in Singapore.

She said she also spoke with a dorm supervisor - presumably the workers' - and was assured that residents would be educated at a briefing on Tuesday (Jan 30).

Dorai also intends to feed community dogs every night and will frequent this area, she added.

"Please, for goodness sake, when you see our wildlife, stay far away and let them be," she advised.

"We already invaded their homes, what more harm do you want to do to them?"

Workers may have had good intentions

Many Facebook users expressed gratitude towards Dorai for intervening in the situation, wishing the deer well.

"Thank you for speaking out for the magnificent animal," one said.

Another agreed: "Thank you for being proactive and taking steps to deter them!"

Some users, conversely, felt that the workers might have had good intentions.

"If the deer is on the road, chasing it back into the forest is the best thing they could do," a user opined.

A user also felt that the workers chasing the deer was "a good thing".

"These deer have to learn to be afraid of humans and stay away from humans to survive.

"Those workers may seem to be having fun chasing but at the same time, teaching the deer to stay away from humans and the road is better for protecting them."

Sambar deer making a comeback 

According to a report on Feb 16 last year, sambar deer have increased in numbers in Singapore, The Straits Times reported.

The sambar deer is currently listed as a vulnerable species on the International Union for Conservation of Nature's Red List of Threatened Species.

In 1997, the Nature Society (Singapore) had estimated only three deer in the wild.

The number increased to 15 in 2021 in a report provided by NParks.

Local wildlife photographer Tan Yong Lin told The Straits Times that it is good that Singapore can sustain sambar deer.

"To coexist, we need to consider educating people about their presence in the areas where they may be seen, and how to behave when we encounter them. 

"These animals are extremely shy, and we do not want to do anything that may scare them onto roads with heavier traffic."

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In an advisory by NParks on animal encounters, it is recommended that we maintain our distance when observing wildlife.

When driving on a road near a nature area, it is also advised that we keep an eye out for wildlife.

Should any assistance be required for wildlife-related matters, NParks urges members of the public to call their Animal Response Centre.

AsiaOne has reached out to Dorai for more information.

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khooyihang@asiaone.com