The population of the Eld's deer, a sub-species of swamp
deer, has reached 1,785 in China's southern island province of
Hainan with an annual 15 percent growth over the past 30 years, the
latest survey by wildlife researchers shows.
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The Eld's deer, including 82 captive-bred animals, were
scattered in 12 different habitats across the island and their
gender ratio was almost 1:1, said Yuan Xicai, one of the survey
organizers.
Eld's deer are seen at the
Datian Natural Reserve in?Hainan Province in this photo taken
on June 1, 2007.
The nationally protected species, native to Hainan, has been
growing steadily since 1976, when they numbered just 26 as a result
of increased human activities and environmental degradation, said
Yuan.
Experts said Eld's deer were living in Hainan?four million
years ago, long before any human activity on the island. Known by
the locals as "slope deer", the species was named after Lieutenant
Percy Eld, who served in the British colonial administration of
India.
A comprehensive protection program introduced 30 years ago, with
a budget of 10 million yuan (US$1.3 million), stopped the decline
and allowed the species to make a comeback.
Protection efforts include nature reserve construction, the
cultivation of breeding stock in the wild, and educating locals
about the importance of protecting Eld's deer.
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(Xinhua News Agency June 27, 2007)
