Père David's deer

Elaphurus davidianus

Native to China, Père David's deer, Elaphurus davidianus, has never been observed in the wild! It was discovered in the 19th century in the gardens of the Imperial Palace in Beijing. A few individuals sent to Europe are the origin of all current populations.

Lifestyle

Père David's deer particularly enjoy marshy areas. They are very good swimmers and, in warm weather, can spend hours submerged with water up to their shoulders.

The herds consist of either males or females with their young. During the breeding season, the males seek to form a harem. They fight each other, antlers against antlers, biting each other or standing on their hind legs and kicking each other with their hooves.

How can you recognise a Père David's deer?

Père David's deer has a long, narrow head. Its red coat in summer turns greyer in winter. Its large feet with widely spaced hooves make it easier for it to move around in the marshes.

A strange look

The Chinese called it "sì bù xiàng", which means "none of the four". This strange name refers to its appearance: a camel's neck, cow's hooves, a donkey's tail and backward-pointing deer antlers.

Père David's deer: an endangered species

Père David's deer had already disappeared from the wild when it was discovered in 1865 in the imperial gardens of Beijing by Father Armand David, who was on a mission for the National Museum of Natural History. Some individuals were then sent to French and English zoos. These few animals thus escaped extermination, because following the floods of 1895 and then the Boxer Rebellion, the last Chinese specimens were killed and eaten by armed troops.

In the 1980s, two herds from Woburn Reserve (England) were reintroduced into a park near Beijing and into the Dafeng Nature Reserve. Others followed, originating from European zoos.

Today, it is estimated that more than 1,300 individuals are once again occupying China!

The Museum's efforts to preserve Père David's deer

The Réserve zoologique de la Haute-Touche keeps several individuals. This is a guarantee for the future of this species, which is still classified as "Extinct in the Wild" until the reintroduced population proves its long-term viability.