EPOW - Ecology Picture of the Week

Timor Deer Close Up

Timor Deer (Rusa timorensis), Family Cervidae
Pura Luhur Ulumatu, Bali, Indonesia

Explanation:  If I was any closer, I'd be in back of it!  

I encountered the very docile and curious Timor deer during a visit to the wondrous Pura Luhur Ulumatu Cliffside Temple on the island of Bali, Indonesia.  Timor deer are endemic to Indonesia, and I encountered them on Bali and Komodo Islands.  But they are also widely introduced to Australia, New Zealand, Brazil, Thailand, and much more.  

IUCN Red List marks Timor deer as Vulnerable and decreasing, with major threats including hunting and trapping, degradation of their habitat from logging, and invasive non-native disease.

Predators of Timor deer reportedly include crocodiles, pythons, Javan leopards, dholes, and of course Komodo dragons!

I was lucky to spot this lone Timor deer out in the open
on the island of Komodo, which is itself a sanctuary for wildlife.

Timor deer are largely skittish, as I discovered a small herd
that dashed away while I was climbing a coastal hill
at "Pink Beach" on Komodo Island.

It is also a deer of many names, including:  Timor deer, Javan rusa, Javan deer, Sunda sambar, and other local names.

The subspecies I encountered on Bali is Rusa timorensis renschi.

A lone, wary individual cautiously padded across a dried
riverbed here on Komodo Island.
Some sources note that Timor deer are largely nocturnal
so as to avoid predators, but they also might graze during the daytime ...
which made my close encounter all the more remarkable and memorable!