Analisis Aktivitas Harian Rusa Sambar (Cervus unicolor) di Kandang Demplot Litbang Rusa BP2LHK Aek Nauli Kabupaten Simalungun Sumatera Utara

Abstract

The sambar deer (Cervus unicolor) is a wild animal whose population continues to decline due to hunting and habitat degradation, making captive breeding an ex situ conservation effort. This study aims to analyze differences in daily activity of sambar deer during the day and night. Observations were conducted at the Deer Research and Development Demonstration Plot of the BP2LHK Aek Nauli, Simalungun Regency, using the Focal Animal Sampling (FAS) method. Observed activities included walking, resting, sleeping, eating, socializing, grooming, defecation, urination, nursing, and suckling. Data were analyzed using the Wilcoxon Signed-Rank test at a significance level of 5%. The results showed that walking and feeding activities were more prevalent during the day, while resting and sleeping activities increased at night. The Wilcoxon test showed that only urination activity was significantly different between day and night (p < 0.05), while other activities were not significantly different (p > 0.05). These results indicate that captive sambar deer retain their natural behavioral patterns and are able to adapt to environmental conditions. This can serve as a basis for captive management and support ex-situ conservation.