The Sambar (Rusa unicolor) is a large deer native to southern and southeast Asia. Although it primarily refers to R. unicolor, the name "Sambar" is also sometimes used to refer to the Philippine Deer and the Rusa Deer. The name is also spelled sambur, or sambhur. The appearance and the size of sambar vary widely across their range, which has led to considerable taxonomic confusion in the past; over forty different scientific synonyms have been used for the species. In general, they attain a height of 102 to 160 centimetres at the shoulder and may weigh as much as 546 kg, though more typically 150 to 350 kg.
The Sambar inhabits much of southern Asia, mainland Southeast Asia, southern China, Taiwan, and the islands of Sumatra and Borneo in Indonesia. Sambar prefers the dense cover of deciduous shrubs and grasses, although the exact nature of this varies enormously with the environment, because of their wide range across southern Asia. Home range sizes are probably equally variable, but have been recorded as 1,500 hectares (3,700 acres) for males and 300 hectares (740 acres) for females in India.
Sambar primarily live in woodland and feed on a wide variety of vegetation, including grasses, foliage, browse, fruit, and water plants, depending on the local habitat. Sambar are nocturnal or crepuscular. The males live alone for much of the year, and the females live in small herds of up to sixteen individuals. Indeed, in some areas, the average herd consists of only three or four individuals, typically consisting of an adult female, her most recent young, and perhaps a subordinate, immature female. This is an unusual pattern for deer, which more commonly live in larger groups. They often congregate near water, and are good swimmers.
Panna National Park is a national park situated in Panna and Chhatarpur districts of Madhya Pradesh. With an area of 542.67 kms, it is located at a distance of around 57 km from Khajuraho. The region is home to some of the best wildlife species in India and is one of the most famous Tiger Reserves in the country. The park is known worldwide for its wild cats, including tigers as well as deer and antelope. It was declared in 1994 as the twenty second Tiger reserve of India and the fifth in Madhya Pradesh and Panna was given the Award of Excellence in 2007 as the best maintained national park of India by the Ministry of Tourism of India. Due to its closeness to one of the best-known Indian tourist attraction in India, Khajuraho, the park is recognized as an exciting stop-over destination.
Terrain in Panna National Park is undulating and heavily forested with many streams and waterfalls. The climate of the region is tropical. Summers, somewhat scorching, are when one has the maximum chances of encountering the exclusive wildlife of this park. Winters are cold and comfortable and the temperature generally remains under 25°C. Monsoon touches this region in July and continues till mid-September.
Source: Wikipedia & http://www.pannanationalpark.net/
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