The Père David’s deer, milu Elaphurus davidianus
The Père David’s deer (also known as the milu) is a large ungulate standing at about 120 cm at the shoulders and weighing up to 200 kilograms. Its tufted tail is longer than tails of other deer. The antlers are also unique in that the main beam extends almost directly upward, while the long tines point backward. Although rut in milu occurs once a year, adult males (stags) may grow two pairs of antlers per year. The Père David’s deer is one of the rarest animals in the world. Historically, the Père David’s deer were found in the swampy areas in the northern and central regions of China, but by the late 19th century, the world's only herd survived in the Imperial Hunting Park, near Beijing. The park was surrounded by high wall, and every attempt to look behind the wall was punished by death. However, in 1865, French missionary Armand David succeeded in finding this species hitherto-unknown to Europe (and later named in his honour). In 1869, David managed to secure two specimens and send them to London Zoo where they bred. As to the rest of the deer in China, they suffered a horrible fate: the last deer were shot in 1900, during the Boxer Rebellion. About 500 specimens of the Père David’s deer are currently kept at the zoos. In 1960, a large group of these animals was sent to China to be reintroduced.
