The Deer

Deer are animals that we often hear about in Paloh Dayah, Lhokseumawe, Aceh, Sumatra. In the forests around our village, these animals have long disappeared, but in the forests that are inland and in the mountains of Aceh, they are still there.

Residents around the forest still hunt forest deer, occasionally. Deer meat is sold in the market. It's only occasionally. No deer every day. I don't know whether the forest deer is a protected animal here, or not.

In my childhood, we often heard people merurusa (hunting deer), meulapoh (hunting mouse deer). Kancil, until now still there occasionally. Our small forest may still be a habitat for these little animals. Their small body size makes them more difficult to find.

Meanwhile, large wildebeest, almost as big as an ox, are easier to spot and easier to find. Not really. The deer doesn't like being caught and then its meat is minced, traded, baked, cooked and eaten.

The deer is good at hiding and adept at racing, except for a few unfortunate deer who encounter a lucky hunter.

Eat Deer Meat

I've never eaten venison. People say, the smell is "meuhong" (slightly scented with forest leaves), so I don't plan to try it. In the present capital of North Aceh district, Lhoksukon, I once stood near people selling deer meat they had caught in the forest. I wanted to buy it at the time, but for some reason it didn't happen. That was almost ten years ago.

About a few years ago, in the capital city of Aceh, Banda Aceh, I saw a noodle seller who wrote on his shelf that there were noodles that used deer meat. I wanted to try it, apparently there was no venison at that time. I never asked him again. Deer meat is only occasionally available, it cannot be estimated, because it is not a domesticated animal, but is caught in the forest.

In Banda Aceh, there is now one house that keeps a large elk, which has branchy horns, like a forest deer. I saw him on my way to the coffee shop beside him. I thought it was an ox, because it looked like an ox. I only knew it was a deer when I saw its branchy antlers.

I approached the cute horned beast. The smell of its dung and the shape of an ox made me disinterested. I have raised our father's cows since I was small. Therefore, forest animals similar to oxen do not interest me more than the attraction to oxen.

Well, in Aceh Besar, near the city of Banda Aceh, many years ago there was a tourist spot called "Deer Park". I've never been there. Deer, like an ox. Not really. In Jantho, the capital of Aceh Besar district, there is a zoo where animals are imported from various countries.

The ostrich was there too. However, I never wanted to visit it. Turns out, I love animal rescue in the wilderness. I love that the animals are left free in nature, in the wild, in their habitats that we protect as well. Don't cage animals. I don't like zoos. It's imprisoning animals.

Tiny deer in the photo

The small deer with signpost hair (spots) in this photo are deer that are in Spotted Deer Breeding, in the Housing Complex of PT. Perta Arun Gas (PAG) Lhokseumawe, Aceh.

The spotted deer received by PAG is a grant from the Bogor Presidential Palace through the State Secretariat. A total of 6 (six) deer were given, with details of 2 (two) male deer and 4 (four) female deer.

This place was inaugurated on Thursday January 10, 2019.

Read: Inauguration of Spotted Deer Breeding

By the time Jamaluddin took the picture, Wednesday, March 8 2023, the deer had already multiplied, numbering around 30.

See [PHOTO] Spotted deer in Lhokseumawe

There, several women were seen selling packages of vegetables for IDR 3,000 per pack to be purchased by visiting guests and given to the deer. There is no fee to enter there, only visitors are encouraged to participate in feeding the deer according to predetermined regulations.

Thank You

March 22, 2023

Kind Regard

Thayeb Loh Angen

Captions for All Photos: Spotted deer in the Housing Complex of PT. Perta Arun Gas (PAG) Lhokseumawe, Aceh, March 8 2023. Photo by Jamaluddin-Lodin. With the Nikon D7000 Camera, Nikon AF Nikkor 70-300mm Lens.