HAIKOU, September 11. /TASS/. Datian Nature Reserve in the western part of China's Hainan has made great progress in breeding a local rare species of animals - the Hainan Eld's deer (lyre deer). According to the Hainan Daily, their number has already exceeded 1,000 animals.
Thus, according to official estimates, over the past 20 years, the number of Eld's deer has increased many times: as a result of their mass extermination, by the beginning of the 21st century, only a few dozen animals remained on the island. "The population of this deer species continues to grow steadily. Fortunately, in the 1980s, one of the forest areas near Dongfang was declared a first-level state reserve, thanks to which the Eld's deer were saved from extinction," one of the local workers explained.
He recalled that the Hainan lyre deer belong to the category of especially valuable animals protected by the Chinese government (the list includes giant pandas). According to the head of the control point of the reserve, Tang Biaoi, now the only threat to the deer on Hainan are predators, mainly wild dogs and forest cats, as well as snakes.
"Over the past 10 years, about 100 animals have died as a result of the attack of pythons," said the forester. He specified that the staff of the reserve, which covers an area of more than 1,300 hectares, is actively monitoring the deer. In order to do so, the territory of their habitat is surrounded by a reliable fence, there are also security cameras along the area.
In addition, according to Tang Biaoi, site workers closely monitor the local flora and prevent wild bushes from growing, which leads to meadows disappearing, and there is less grass which is considered the main source of the deer diet.
Scientists discovered them in 1839; there are only three subspecies of these animals on Earth. The Eld's deer are a bit like sika deer, they usually live alone or in small groups on wetlands, feed on grassy vegetation and are especially fond of wild rice sprouts. These cloven-hoofed animals can weigh up to 140 kg, grown species reach 110 cm in height and 180 cm in length.
The Hainan authorities are paying close attention to preserving favorable natural conditions for a stable increase in their population.