2023-01-16 Mon

The Sangai is an endemic and endangered subspecies of Eld’s deer found only in Manipur, India. It is the state animal of Manipur. They are originally habituated, in the floating marshy grasslands of the Kelbul Lamjao National park, to the south of Loktak Lake.

The Sangai is a medium-sized deer. It has distinctive antlers that measure 100-110 cm. The height of a grown-up stag could be approximately 115 to 125 cm at shoulder level and weight up to 95 to 110 kg respectively, and the females are shorter and less in weight compared to their male counterparts.

Sangai feeds on various water-living plants, herbaceous plants, grasses and shoots. Sangai starts gazing early in the morning. After feeding, they take a rest. Sangai has a maximum lifespan of around ten years in the wild.

The number of deer listed in the Red Data book was only 14 in 1975. After the declaration of the area as a national park and with strict conservation measures taken by the Forest Department, the fear of its extinction has been greatly reduced.

The above-given stamp is a commemorative stamp of Sangai Deer. This multicolour stamp was issued on 31st March 2000 by India. It has a face value of 3 Indian Rupees. This stamp portrays an image of a Sangai Deer. The country is in the top left corner, and the face value is in the top right corner.

Image Courtesy:- Colnect.com