China gradually restoring the population of wild Pere David's deer

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By TANG YUANKAI

Jiangsu Dafeng Milu National Nature Reserve (XINHUA)

In the exhibition area of the World-Wide Fund for Nature in the International Organization Joint Pavilion of the World Expo in Shanghai, there are two national treasures of China—pandas and Pere David's deer (usually called milu in Chinese)—both among the rarest 10 species in the world.

It has been 25 years since Pere David's deer returned to their home area. China is effectively restoring their wild population, said Ding Yuhua, Director of Jiangsu Dafeng Milu National Nature Reserve.

Ding came to the reserve as a fodder technician 25 years ago, then the first time he and other staff at the reserve had seen the animal. They didn't even have basic information about the life habits and biological characteristics of the deer, or any other experience. Now, the reserve has the world's largest wild population of Pere David's deer and its largest gene base.

Growing up naturally

NEW LIFE: The first Pere David's deer that was created from artificial insemination was born in Beijing on April 16, 2008 (XINHUA)

"In domestic circumstances, because of the limitations of the region, the population of Pere David's deer is not able to grow quickly. And domestication is not able to preserve the animal's wild nature and can't really save and propagate the species," said Ding.

In the autumn of 1998, Ding and his colleagues conducted an epochal experiment—sending eight carefully selected Pere David's deer (two males, four females, two offspring) that had been domesticated for a long time back to nature.