Elaphurus davidianus

Milu [mí lù], also known as Pere David's Deer in foreign languages, is the only deer species in the Cervidae family and the genus Elk. This animal has a history of about two to three million years. Historically, there were five species of elk, namely the Bicha species, the Lantian species, the Taiwan species, the Jinnan species, and the Da species. The existing species is the Da species.

Elk is a relatively docile species among deer. According to years of artificial breeding and observation, the running speed of elk is not as fast as that of sika deer and roe deer. Male deer in estrus do not attack people like sika deer, red deer, and white-lipped deer. Moreover, male deer in the group will run away when they see people approaching. During the lactation period, when people ear-mark and measure the young, the young's cry can only attract the mother deer to watch from a distance, unlike other deer, who attack people to protect their young. The fight between male elks for mates is also relatively mild, without fierce collisions and large-scale movement. The fight usually lasts no more than 10 minutes. The loser just turns around and walks away, and the winner no longer chases and fights. There are rarely injuries between deer. After the male deer occupies the group, when other male deer peek at the female deer, the male deer that occupies the group only drives them away by roaring and chasing. The above characteristics determine that they have poor ability to escape from enemies and are more likely to be hunted by natural enemies and humans.

Elks are sociable and good at swimming. They mainly feed on grass, mosses and other tender grasses and leaves. The feed types for artificial breeding are composed of three parts: "fine grains" include wheat bran, barley, corn, and bean cake; soybean straw with a high degree of fiberization is "coarse grains". The "fine grains" and "coarse grains" are crushed separately, mixed with water and stirred and fermented in a certain proportion. At the same time, fresh and delicious "fruits and vegetables" such as carrots and wheat greens are used to supplement vitamins.

Most deer mates estrus in autumn, while the estrus of elk is in summer, from the end of May to August. During mating, male animals confront or fight with each other, and their temperament suddenly becomes irritable, making bursts of calls, picking the ground with their horns, and secreting fluid from their infraorbital glands, which is smeared on tree trunks. Although the estrus and mating period of elk is one quarter earlier than other deer, the gestation period of female elk is 270-300 days, which is the longest gestation period among deer. Therefore, the birth time is similar to that of other deer, and they all give birth in April-May of the following year. The fawn wrapped in grayish-white afterbirth can lift its head as soon as it lands, and the adult deer quickly turns around to lick and eat the afterbirth for the child. The newborn weighs about 12 kg, with orange-red fur and white spots. The white spots disappear after 6-8 weeks, and the weight will reach 70 kg 3 months after birth. It is sexually mature at the age of 2. The male fawn grows forked horns at the age of 2, and the forked horns are fully developed at the age of 6.

The species has recovered from the brink of extinction and has become a classic example of saving highly endangered species (Ebenehard 1995). In the mid-1980s, elk was reintroduced into China for captive breeding, and population breeding sites were first established in Beijing, and then in Dafeng, Shishou and other places. Elk are also kept in captivity in Western zoos, and there are free-range populations in hunting grounds in the United States and other places. As of 2022, Chinese elk are mainly distributed in three major nature reserves, namely Jiangsu Dafeng Elk National Nature Reserve, Beijing Nanhaizi Elk Park, and Hubei Shishou Elk National Nature Reserve. Among them, Jiangsu Dafeng Elk Reserve, with an area of 1.17 million mu, is the largest elk reserve in the world; after reproduction and expansion, as of the end of May 2021, there were 2,658 wild elk individuals in the reserve. As of 2021, my country has established 84 ex situ protection populations of elk, with a total of nearly 10,000 elk; among them, there are about 2,300 wild elk individuals in the Shishou Elk National Nature Reserve and the Jingjiang Ancient Road area.

Listed in the "Red List of Endangered Species of the World Conservation Union" (IUCN) 2016 ver3.1-Extinct in the Wild (EW).

Listed in China's "National Key Protected Wildlife List" (February 5, 2021) Level 1.

Protect wildlife and eliminate game.

Maintaining ecological balance is everyone's responsibility!

The elk is native to the swamps of the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River in China and is a species endemic to China.
Based on the analysis of the elk's wide hooves and the cutaneous tendon membrane between the hooves, it is suitable for activities in swamps; the long and hairy tail is conducive to driving away flying insects; judging from the habit of domesticated elks to soak in water and take mud baths, they used to live in warm and humid swamps. It likes plains, swamps and waters, and the Yangtze River Delta plain wetlands are obviously its ideal habitat.

Elk is a large herbivore with a body length of 150-200 cm and a tail length of 60-75 cm. The male has a shoulder height of 122-137 cm, and the female has a height of 70-75 cm. The body is slightly smaller than the male. The general weight is 120-180 kilograms, the weight of adult males can reach 250 kilograms, and the weight of newborns is about 12 kilograms. In summer, the body hair is red rust color, with a black vertical stripe on the back of the neck, and the abdomen and buttocks are brown and white. After September, the body hair is replaced by longer and thicker gray winter hair.
The elk has a thick neck and back, a large head, a narrow and long snout, a wide exposed part of the nose, small eyes, and prominent infraorbital glands. The limbs are thick, the main hooves are wide and can be separated, and are fleshy, and there is a skin aponeurosis between the two main hooves to avoid sinking in the swamp; in addition, the hanging hooves are also very developed. Like reindeer and