Pere David's Deer

Conservation Status:
Extinct in the wild;  still maintained in captivity

Description:
Males are about 4 feet tall and weigh up to 540 pounds.  Females are smaller.  Their coat is brownish red in summer, becoming more grayish in winter.  They have large eyes and pointed ears.  Their tail is long with a black tip.  The males’ antlers point backwards, which is the opposite of other deer.

Range:
Formerly in northeast China .  Now in reserves and zoos worldwide.

Habitat:
Swampy marshlands

Diet:
Pere David’s deer are herbivores, and will eat grass, shoots, leaves, and aquatic plants.  In the zoo, they eat alfalfa and ADF pellets.

Life Cycle:
The mating season is June to August.  Mature females gather in groups called harems, and males fight each other for possession of a harem.  Gestation is 10 weeks.  They give birth to 1 or 2 fawns.  The fawns are yellowish brown with lighter spots, and can walk almost immediately after birth.  They stay with the mother for 1-2 years.  Pere David’s deer can live 20-23 years.

Did You Know?

·        This species was named after a naturalist named Pere Armand David.  In 1865, he discovered the only surviving herd in a hunting park in China , and arranged for several to be sent to European zoos.  Years later, China ’s herd was wiped out by a flood.  The population was rebuilt from the captive deer in Europe , saving the species from extinction.

·        The Chinese called them ssu-pu-hsiang, which means “the four unlikes”.  They thought that the deer had a stag’s antlers, a camel’s neck, a cow’s hooves, and a donkey’s tail.

·        Unlike many other deer, this species likes water.  In the summer, they may spend long periods of time standing in shoulder-deep water to keep cool.  Males like to wallow in wet mud, using their hooves to flick mud and grass onto their back.

·        Males sometimes develop 2 sets of antlers in a year, a large set in summer and a smaller set in winter.  The large summer antlers can reach 2 ½ feet in length.  Males use their antlers, along with their teeth, to fight for females during the mating season.

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