Burmese brow-antlered deer

Rucervus eldii thamin

The German name Leierhirsch refers to the bow-like shape of the antlers. In French and English, however, the name Thameng or Thamin and Eld's deer is also used. There are three subspecies of the thamin, whose ranges are exceptionally small or fragmented into small parts. In 1975, only 14 animals of the Manipur thamin were counted. Thanks to protective measures, there are now several hundred animals again. The Burmese thamin shown at Zoo Zurich is a great rarity in zoological gardens.

Taxonomy	Even-toed ungulates, ruminants, deer, brow-antlered deer (3 subspecies)
Habitat	Forests, grasslands, wetlands, habitat along water bodies
Activity pattern	Deciduous and nocturnal, females and young live in groups, males join groups during mating season, but otherwise live solitary
Social structure	Females with young in herds, males solitary outside mating season
Diet	Grass, occasionally leaves and fruits
Weight	95 to 150 kg
Shoulder height	120 to 130 cm
Horns / Antlers	Antlers: Males only
Gestation time	239 to 256 days
Litter size	1 young, rarely twins
Age at sexual maturity	1 to 2 years
Life expectancy	up to 20 years in humans
Commerce	meat
Current population	all three subspecies declining sharply, Burmese thamin in central Burma with a few hundred animals, released in Thailand, 1500 animals of all subspecies with private keepers and in zoos
At Zoo Zurich since	1981, internationally coordinated breeding (EEP)