Pere David's deer – A reintroduction success story from China

Pere David's deer was reintroduced in China 20 years back. They have established well in Central Yangtze region. A recent count put the number at 2,500 individuals at the three national nature reserves. The Pere David's deer was once found only in China along the central and lower Yangtze River basin. Hunting and habitat depredation led to the extinction of the species in the wild in the early 20th century. 39 animals from the Woburn Abbey Wildlife Park outside of London were re-introduced to the Central Yangtze in 1985 and 86. To mark the 20th anniversary of the species re-introduction, a celebration was held on Wednesday at Yangtze Tian’ezhou Oxbow Wetland Reserve, home to the species' largest population (600 deer).