The first instance of an albino (white) Sambar from India has been reported by Dr. Raza H. Tehsin from Mewar. His reporting was published in the Journal of Bombay Natural History Society (JBNHS).

Jaisamand was the shikar (hunting) reserve jungle of the Maharana during the monarchy in Mewar. It is about 50 km from Udaipur city and has now been converted into a wildlife sanctuary. It is near the Jaisamand Lake, which was the second largest lake of Asia in the days of monarchy.

During those times this jungle was teeming with Sambar. Maharana Fatehsingh of Udaipur once arranged a beat on a particular hill called Ruthi Rani Ka Mahal. The population of Sambar was so thick and dense that in this beat numerous Sambars were killed by falling down from the cliffs. Thereafter he never arranged any beat for this particular hill range. From this we can very well visualize the population of Sambar in this jungle.

In the monarchy days a young female Sambar was caught which was an albino. This Sambar was kept in the Udaipur Zoo Gulab Bagh. But it could not survive long in captivity. After it died it was stuffed and kept as a specimen in the museum of Maharana.

Now it is exhibited in Archaeological Museum of Udaipur situated in the City Palace. As the artefacts of Maharana’s museum were transferred to the government after independence, the detailed record of this specimen is not available with the museum authorities.