Exotic Sambar deer on Table Mountain: Do the research first, shoot later

The impact of Sambar browsing on ivy growing on a fence. (Photo: Nicoli Nattrass)

26 Feb 2025

SANParks is culling exotic Sambar deer in the Table Mountain National Park. But is the Sambars’ diet good or bad for Table Mountain’s ecology as they browse both indigenous and alien vegetation? And does their browsing on the forest understorey help reduce the risk of fire?

It may come as a surprise to many that Sambar deer exist on Table Mountain. These large Oriental deer, about the size of a North American elk, were imported by Cecil John Rhodes for his menagerie on Groote Schuur Estate.

They soon escaped, however, and are now known to be present in Orange Kloof, Hout Bay and Oudekraal. According to a recent review of the scant evidence about Sambar on Table Mountain, scientists estimated that the original population of 19 slowly expanded to an estimated 30 individuals by 2010, with limited impact on the environment. During this time, forest cover (the preferred habitat of Sambar) more than doubled on Table Mountain.

Sambar deer are on the international Red List as “vulnerable” because of steep declines in their home ranges in South-East Asia due to over-exploitation for meat and antlers. They are on the verge of extinction in Malaysia.

Sambar deer are not, however, regarded as a species of concern in South Africa. Rather, they are subject to ad hoc “culling” operations by SANParks simply because they are exotic/alien. This has caused local controversy not only because some people enjoy seeing the deer, but because Neighbourhood Watch organisations have mobilised in response to gunfire close to houses.

There is growing distrust of SANParks for its failure to alert local communities about culling operations (as required by its own protocols). Some suspect that SANParks is not following the law.

A Sambar stag in Hout Bay. (Photo: Courtesy of Storm Grainger)

The National Environmental Management: Biodiversity Act (Nemba) of 2004 requires that managers of protected areas develop a plan for invasive species control and produce regular “status reports”, including assessments of the efficacy of such management. Efforts to obtain such plans or status reports have come to naught, resulting in a growing suspicion that these plans and reports don’t exist, and that Sambar are being killed in an ad hoc manner, for dubious purposes.

Notably, on 26 May 2022, two SANParks employees were apprehended by a member of the Orange Kloof neighbourhood watch after shots were fired 150 metres from his home just before midnight. After discovering that SANParks officials had killed a Sambar deer, he insisted on a meeting, and one was held the following day at the Table Mountain National Park head office.

At the meeting, he was told that SANParks had a mandate to “scientifically cull Sambar deer” regardless of people’s views on the matter. It was agreed, however, that discharging a rifle close to a residential area was not acceptable and that SANParks would inform local residents prior to any future culling operations. Meat from the butchered Sambar deer was then offered to the people at the meeting.

SANParks, however, did not honour the undertaking to keep residents informed about culling. On 24 September 2024, Neighbourhood Watch security cameras picked up unusual activity at the Orange Kloof Road gate. Later, two shots were heard, and neighbourhood social media groups became very active.

At first, the SANParks representative on the group posted that there was no culling operation, but that story was contradicted by a SANParks ranger in the park at the time who said that it was an attempted cull, but that both shots had “missed”.

‘An illegal episode of sport hunting’

The SANParks representative on the WhatsApp group then confirmed that there had been a culling operation, but could provide no further details. Local residents, however, suspect that this “culling” operation had been an illegal episode of sport hunting because a well-known Sambar stag nicknamed “Vuvuzela” — and who was reportedly as “large as a horse” and had “magnificent antlers” — was not seen again after that night.

Whether there is any truth to such suspicions or not, it is clear that SANParks has allowed what appears to be an ad hoc, unprocedural and unaccountable process of “culling” Sambar deer in Table Mountain National Park.

There is a clear need for a more open and transparent approach to monitoring and controlling Sambar deer (if, and where, deemed necessary) and to do this within the existing legislative framework.

That includes complying with reporting requirements under the National Environmental Management Biodiversity Act, and conducting a substantive prior assessment of whether this alien species is actually causing any harm to the Table Mountain ecosystem.

Sambar are generalist herbivores, meaning that they graze and browse a wide variety of trees, shrubs, herbs and grasses. This allows them to survive in a wide range of contexts (including Florida, California, New Zealand and Australia where they were also introduced by wealthy collectors), though they appear to prefer wetter, forested regions.

In Australia they are known to cause some damage to agriculture through grazing or browsing pasture, fruit, grapevines, vegetables, pine and other trees, flowers and foliage.

There are no studies of the Sambars’ diet on Table Mountain, but it seems likely that they browse on a range of plant species. The photographs below show a Sambar stag rubbing his antlers on a pine tree at Oudekraal, which subsequently died after being ring-barked by such activity. Casual observation suggests that in denser, forested contexts, rubbing occurs on one side of the tree only, allowing it to survive.

A Sambar deer rubbing a pine tree, September 2023. (Photo: Supplied)

A dead tree that toppled over after being ring-barked by a Sambar deer, Oudekraal, January 2024. (Photo: Supplied)

The impact of Sambar browsing on invasive acacia. (Photo: Nicoli Nattrass)

The impact of Sambar browsing on ivy growing on a fence. (Photo: Nicoli Nattrass)

Sambar are predominantly browsers, apparently moving through the understory of the forest nibbling at leaves, flowers, bark etc. On the borders of Orange Kloof, there is evidence of them browsing heavily on ivy and shrubs, but the effect seems to be more one of pruning than killing.

There is some evidence of them browsing on invasive acacia at Oudekraal. It is thus an open question whether the Sambars’ diet is good or bad for Table Mountain’s ecology given that they browse both indigenous and alien vegetation. It is also an open question whether or not their browsing on the forest floor and low-hanging branches — the understorey — helps reduce the risk of fire.

Areas of Table Mountain National Park adjacent to urban areas like Orange Kloof and Hout Bay have ecosystems that differ fundamentally from the pre-urbanisation past. Fire is suppressed and there are significant ecological challenges posed by remnant plantations and invasive plants.

The park can thus be understood as a “novel” ecosystem in an urban context. Understanding the ecological niche that Sambar deer occupy in this fundamentally human-altered system — as well as the social meanings attached to them — is essential.

Conservation officials may have inherited a hunting/culling mentality from the past and it is possible that some continue such practices, also to obtain meat and trophies.

But in this democratic era, the management of fauna on Table Mountain ought to accord with the principles and protocols required by the legislation — and be based on solid research and community consultation.

Research first, shoot later. DM

Nicoli Nattrass is co-Director of the Institute for Communities and Wildlife (iCWild) at the University of Cape Town. She has produced a discussion paper on Sambar on Table Mountain and invites anyone with information to share about them to contact her at [email protected]

Categories:

Tags:

DM is much better if you are signed in...

South Africa

‘An illegal episode of sport hunting’