Jataka — The Banyan Deer (Nigrodhamiga Jataka)
In a past life, the Buddha was born as a golden deer named King Banyan Deer, leader of a herd of 500 deer in the forests near Benares. When the local king hunted deer excessively, the deer kings devised a lottery system where deer would sacrifice themselves in turn. One day, a pregnant doe from the Monkey Deer herd was destined to die, but her king refused to help her. King Banyan Deer took her place, laying his head on the chopping block. Moved by this extraordinary self-sacrifice, the human king granted the deer sanctuary and vowed to protect all animals in his kingdom.