As is the case with most wetland species, the sambar is particularly vulnerable to the ravages inflicted on its habitat by man. Pesticides and herbicides, for instance, now routinely show up in downstream water courses. Deforestation has led to the drying up of streams and lakes. Cattle devastate forests, degrading them and affecting regeneration. In protecting the sambar, we ultimately protect our own sources of water, a fact that planners will have to accept sooner or later if they are to come to grips with the ecological food security risks confronting India today.