Skip to content

Sambar Were Recorded Mainly in U Minh Ha’s Strict Protection Zone

Sambar in Keoladeo National Park, India
Conservation · Population & status

A survey of sambar (Rusa unicolor) in U Minh Ha National Park in southern Vietnam found that records were concentrated in the park’s Strict Protection Zone. Researchers combined targeted camera trapping, daytime field surveys for animals and signs, and nocturnal spotlight surveys to assess the species’ distribution and obtain a preliminary picture of population size.

Camera Effort Was Targeted Toward Likely Sambar Habitat

Ten camera traps were moved among 50 positions between October 2024 and February 2026. Of 48 positions that produced usable data, 18 recorded sambar. Across 1,500 camera-trap days, the study logged 1,862 sambar detections, with large differences among sites. Most camera positions had been placed in the Strict Protection Zone because the survey was targeted toward areas considered likely to hold sambar, so the camera data were not an equal-effort comparison among park zones. Within that targeted survey, the highest recording frequencies occurred in the Strict Protection Zone, which the authors describe as having dense tree cover, little human disturbance and abundant natural food.

Daytime field surveys produced 36 sambar records on 20 of 180 survey days. Nocturnal surveys produced 97 sambar records across 16 nights and showed that at least 19 animals were active within a single survey period. The authors therefore regard 19 as the minimum number directly supported by their observations.

The Estimate of About 700 Animals Treats Records as Separate Individuals

The paper also gives a conditional population estimate of about 700 animals, but this assumes that each record at the same location represents a different individual and does not account for animals moving between detections. The researchers state that longer-term fixed camera trapping would be needed to assess population size and change more accurately. Their results nevertheless identify the Strict Protection Zone as the main area of sambar occurrence within the park.

Sources and image credit

  1. Khải, T. Q., Duy, N. K., Tuấn, H. K. A., Linh, N. H., Nhã, D. V., Sang, N. M., & Truyền, N. T. (2026). Đánh giá sơ bộ hiện trạng phân bố của loài nai (Rusa unicolor) tại Vườn Quốc gia U Minh Hạ, tỉnh Cà Mau [A preliminary assessment of the distribution status of Rusa unicolor in U Minh Ha National Park, Ca Mau Province]. Tạp chí Khoa học Đại học Cần Thơ, 62(KHTN), 82–92. https://doi.org/10.22144/ctujos.2026.186Primary research article published 21 August 2026. Ten camera traps used across 50 positions produced 1,862 sambar detections at 18 of 48 functioning positions over 1,500 camera-trap days. Nocturnal surveys documented at least 19 animals in one survey period. Detections were concentrated in the Strict Protection Zone. The paper also reports a conditional estimate of about 700 animals if each record at a location is treated as a different individual without accounting for movement, and states that longer-term fixed camera trapping is needed for a more accurate population assessment.

Image: © Giles Laurent, gileslaurent.com — sambar (Rusa unicolor) in Keoladeo National Park, India, photographed 15 March 2023; Wikimedia Commons. Representative species image, not an animal from the U Minh Ha study. · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Source

About this content: This story was produced with AI assistance within an editorial workflow developed by Wildlife Vagabond. Editorial responsibility remains with Wildlife Vagabond.How AI is used

Population & status

SPECIES IN THIS STORY

Species in this story

Sambar Rusa unicolor Explore species

Independent research and conservation news archive

Did you find this information useful?

Wildlife Vagabond is independently built and maintained. Voluntary support helps cover source verification, hosting and continued work on research and conservation news.

Support Wildlife Vagabond

The news archive will remain freely available.