An elusive deer species clings to survival in Sri Lanka’s south

An elusive deer species clings to survival in Sri Lanka’s south

GALLE, Sri Lanka — The hog deer is Sri Lanka’s rarest and most elusive deer, and was thought to be extinct a few decades ago. Classified as critically endangered within the nation, it now survives only in fragmented patches along the island’s southwestern coastal belt, making it a species of urgent conservation concern. Unlike the more visible spotted deer (Axis axis ceylonensis), sambar (Rusa unicolor unicolor) and barking deer (Cervus muntjak)…