Following a wipeout of the milu deer in China dating back to about 1900, four decades of reintroduction and persistent conservation efforts have brought the animal’s population to over 14,000, according to the Xinhua News Agency.
The milu deer, also known as the Père David’s deer, is a unique species that combines features resembling four different animals, earning its Chinese nickname of “sibuxiang,” or “like none of the four,” according to the national news agency. The milu deer is said to have the face of a horse, the tail of a donkey, the hooves of a cow, and the antlers of a deer.
In the late Qing Dynasty, the native milu deer were essentially exclusive to the imperial hunting grounds in Beijing. However, a flood originating from the Yongding River allowed the deer to escape beyond the park’s walls, where hungry locals hunted them for food to near extinction.
The wolverine species in southern Finland experienced a similar near-extinction due to overhunting but has also made a big comeback.
A number of the remaining milu deer were meanwhile taken by foreign troops to Europe, where they were also studied.
Following the flooding and near decimation of the species, Herbrand Russell, the 11th Duke of Bedford, purchased the last 18 milu deer from the Berlin Zoo to raise at his own estate, according to Atlas Obscura. Years later, in 1985, his descendant, Robin Russell, the 14th Duke of Bedford, returned 77 of the animals to the Chinese government to aid in species recovery there.
Chinese scientists have been able to successfully reintroduce the deer species to its native habitat, according to Xinhua, leveraging systems to aid in disease control, breeding, and reproductive isolation. Their conservation efforts over the past 40 years have reportedly helped the species make a resurgence in the region, from near extinction to over 10,000.
Species recovery efforts in Chile have also benefited from the use of scientific tools and systems. There, drone technology and DNA testing have been used to help monitor and detect diseases in elephant seals following a devastating outbreak of avian flu.
The return of the milu deer is crucial for the balancing of wetland ecosystems in China. The animals naturally graze on grass and aquatic plants, which prevents any one plant species from taking over. This also allows marine life and other wildlife species to create smaller habitats within the ecosystem that support biodiversity health.
The deer’s feces also contribute to the health of the soil, adding nutrients that nourish local plants, which, in turn, support wildlife.
“Milu deer are like ‘engineers’ of the wetland ecosystem. They naturally regulate the ecological balance through their life activities,” said Bai Jiade, director at the Beijing Milu Ecological Research Center, per Xinhua. “Milu deer conservation remains a long-term commitment.”
Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don’t miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.