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.

(Xinhua News Agency June 27, 2007)