Magnificent Antlers of the Spotted Deer

The spotted deer is one of the most common wild mammals found in India and though it is easily seen across all the wildlife sanctuaries of India, I feel that it is still one of the prettiest species. It’s spotted coat and its magnificent antlers are a sight that make their sightings interesting throughout.

 
I spotted these young male spotted deer on one rainy morning at Kabini National Park. It was the beginning of the rutting season and nearly all the males were sporting new antlers.

 
All of them were happily grazing before I broke onto the scene and like all good posers they stopped all their work and focussed all their attention on me and my lens to help me capture these beautiful moments.

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Wildlife Photography: Spotted Deer at Nagarhole National Park, Karnataka, India

Like how the blackbucks are the most handsome guys in the antelope family, the spotted deer are such handsome ones in the deer family. The young males sporting their new antlers and their fresh coat look the best.

 
I spotted this group of spotted deer during a jungle safari into the Nagarhole National Park. Each one of them looked sparkling in their fresh colours. They had all joined together as a group of wild dogs was chasing them. Each one of them was staying alert and keeping watch. And the best part was that nearly all of them were males. So all we got to see was a maze of new antlers everywhere.

 
And that is when we landed in our jeep. These guys are great photography subjects. They are curious and at the same time known to take a leap. Both of which offer great variety in the photography frames.

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