Help with ID on two old exotic heads

[Shavesgreen]

Hi Guys,

Any help with these will be much appreciated from those who have studied the exotic species. I have two heads which I can`t ID even from the Rowland Ward books. I know the first is not Malay Sambar or Java Rusa beacause I have others to compare it to, please give your thoughts.....


The second has me stumped because of the blunt, forward curving tops......

 

[Wolverine]

Pere David perhaps ????

 

[Shavesgreen]

Pere David perhaps ????

Not PD mate but thanks for the input.

 

[chopper]

No.2 looks like a Burmese brow antlered deer

 

[digger9523]

Top one could be Axis deer, nearly 100% positive the bottom one is a Barasingha. CITES listed that one, more than likely out of a park

 

[Wolverine]

Not PD mate but thanks for the input.

Well it's definitely not roe
Barasingha likely???
Just guessing,not up to speed on exotics

 

[sinbad]

Might be worth e-mailing tatton park in cheshire with the photos, I service the boilers there and always spend some time in the greathall. It has trophy heads from all over the world (taken in victorian times)they are set out for each different country and include some very rare species. they may be able to compare yours and come up with a match.
Sinbad

 

[Frosty_morning]

The first I reckon is a rusa head maybe and I'd go with digger on the bottom one being a swampy

 

[digger9523]

Not sure about the Rusa,

Still positive about the Swampy though:

The back tines make me think Axis:

 

[Frosty_morning]

Its a toughie hey, I see what you mean with it not being a Rusa as its too spread/not upright to be a classic head, I give up

 

[Shavesgreen]

Thanks to those who have put forward ideas here and also by telephone, I appreciate the help.
I think we have the second head identified as a Barasingha (although a poor example). The first head is difficult because we all know that heads can show great variance within a species. I`m 99% sure it is not a Rusa beacause of the reasons F-M gives above and I have a Rusa head to compare directly. I`m wondering if it may be one of the less common Sambar deer?......
Charly

 

[John Gryphon]

I will back the first head in as a Sambar 100% with absolutely no Rusa blood at all.


Second one could be barasingha but I think its a Kashmiri Stag,thats what it looked like with my first up view

 

[Shavesgreen]

I will back the first head in as a Sambar 100% with absolutely no Rusa blood at all.


Second one could be barasingha but I think its a Kashmiri Stag,thats what it looked like with my first up view

Hi John,

Not sure about the second being a Kashmiri stag but I will dig into that one.
There is no doubt you are best placed to ID a Sambar when you see one! Any idea of the sub species?
Charly

 

[John Gryphon]

Charly thats a tough one...Malay,Chinese,Sri Lankan Indian all can have heads of that configuration..I have seen hundreds and hundreds of sambar heads and that one looks like a lot of Aussie ones also...They have been long enough in Oz to be a sub species in their own right imo but the diversity of size and shape is incredible.

Look at this monster Phil Monogue shot in 1990,its 35 long x 39 wide,I took the pic this week at our deer club meeting in a bowling clubrooms.

 

[Shavesgreen]

Thanks a lot, it certainly looks very similar.

 

[andy stalker]

Sambar 100%

Barasingha 100%