Chital: facts, danger and how to survive it
The spotted deer of the Indian forests. Big herds graze in the open at dawn and dusk and bark an alarm when a predator is near. Langurs often feed beneath the same trees.
About the real animal
The chital, or spotted deer, is one of the most common deer in the forests of India. Adults are reddish-brown with white spots that last all their lives. They live in large herds in open woodland and meadows, and they often feed under trees where langur monkeys drop fruit and leaves. The chital and the langur work as a team: the monkeys watch from above and the deer smell from below, and the alarm call of either one warns the other. The chital's alarm is a sharp bark.
In the game
Chital herds graze in the open at dawn and dusk, and a single bark sends the whole herd running. Shoot once and the others are gone, so make the first shot count. They are a good source of meat and hide. If chital suddenly bark and run, a predator is near.
Quick facts
| Found in | meadows, mixed woodland, river banks |
|---|---|
| Active | at dawn and dusk |
| Eats | plants |
| Temper | timid: it runs when it senses you |
| Strength | 34 health |
| Speed | walks at 1.5 m/s, runs at 10 m/s (you walk at 4 m/s and sprint at 7.5 m/s) |
| Yields | 3 to 4 meat, 2 hide |
What to do
Quick and wary. Shoot once and the whole herd bolts.
More from this group
- 🦌DeerShy herds that feed at dawn and dusk.
- 🫎Sambar deerThe largest deer of the Indian forests.
- 🐃GaurThe largest wild cattle in the world, heavy and muscular.
Back to all animals, or read the survival guide.