ANIMAL HIGHLIGHT

The 

Père David's deer (Elaphurus davidianus), or milu in China, is a unique, semi-aquatic deer species that was once extinct in the wild but has been saved by conservation efforts and reintroduced into protected reserves in China. It is known for its unusual appearance, described as "four not alike" in Chinese folklore because it has a tail like a donkey, hooves like a cow, a neck like a camel, and antlers like a deer. 

Key Characteristics

• Size: This is a large deer, with adults typically weighing between 300 and 440 pounds and standing about 4 feet tall at the shoulder.
• Physical Appearance: In summer, their coat is a reddish-tan, changing to a dull gray in winter, with a black dorsal stripe. They have a long, tufted tail and large, spreading hooves with webbing between the toes, which help them navigate their preferred marshy and swampy habitats.
• Antlers: Males (stags) have unique antlers where the long tines point backward, while the main beam extends almost directly upward. They may grow two sets of antlers per year, with the larger set growing in the summer.
• Diet: Père David's deer are herbivores that primarily graze on grass and supplement their diet with aquatic plants. 

Habitat and Conservation Status

• Native Habitat: The species is native to the subtropical river valleys and wetlands of China.
• Extinction and Reintroduction: The deer were hunted to extinction in the wild in the late 19th century, with the last remaining population in an imperial hunting park near Beijing being wiped out by a flood and soldiers during the Boxer Rebellion in 1900.
• Conservation Success: The species was saved by a few individuals acquired by European zoos, particularly a breeding herd established at Woburn Abbey in England by the Duke of Bedford. All living Père David's deer today descend from that single herd. Reintroduction efforts began in the 1980s in China, and there are now thousands of individuals in protected nature reserves and some truly wild populations.
• Current Status: Officially, the Père David's deer is listed by the IUCN as Extinct in the Wild, though the reintroduced populations are growing and proving viable.