Père David's deer, Elaphurus davidianus, also known as the milu or elaphure, is a deer native to the subtropical river valleys of China and the only extant member of its genus. It grazes mainly on grass and aquatic plants and weighs between 135 and 200 kilograms. By the late nineteenth century it had been hunted almost to extinction in China, but a number were taken to zoos in France and Germany and bred in captivity, and the Duke of Bedford built up a large herd at Woburn Abbey. In the 1980s the duke's great-grandson donated several dozen deer to China for reintroduction. In 2020 the wild population in China was estimated at 2,825 animals, with a further 7,380 in nature reserves. The IUCN lists the species as Extinct in the Wild.
Facts
Classification
Population Trend System (Realm) ThreatsBiological Resource Use 1 Relationship to PeopleFarmed or Commercially Raised 1 Relationship to People Living or Extinct Conservation Status Body Size Band Activity Pattern Activity Pattern Comparison
CITES Appendix Connections
Child Taxon Of
In Biome
Source Père David's deer (Wikipedia)
In Ecosystem
Source Père David's deer (Wikipedia)
In the Other Atlases
Found In
Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.
Source Père David's deer (Wikipedia)Lead, range (china)Quote, Lead, range (china)
native to the subtropical river valleys of China
Sources
1. Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan Museum of Zoology: Elaphurus davidianus (Animal Diversity Web)
Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan Museum of ZoologyPrimary Diet
Primary Diet herbivore herbivore
Conservation Status, CITES
CITES No special status
Lifespan/Longevity, wild
Average lifespan Status: wild 18.0 years
Economic Importance for Humans: Positive
This species is farmed for food and can also be found in hunting parks.
Conservation, history
Those that did survive were hunted by starving citizens during the Boxer Revolution in 1900.
View the Source 2. Père David's deer (Wikipedia)
Lead, range (china)
native to the subtropical river valleys of China
Lead
is a species of deer native to the subtropical river valleys of China
Lead, threats
Père David's deer were hunted almost to extinction in their native China by the late 19th century
Reintroduction population
an average annual population increase of 17%
Child Taxon Of: Cervidae, Lead, family placement
is a species of deer native to the subtropical river valleys of China
In Group: Even-Toed Ungulates (Artiodactyla), Lead, group placement
is a species of deer native to the subtropical river valleys of China
In Biome: Wetlands, Demography, habitat
the species could only be found in the swamp lands and wetlands of southern China
In Ecosystem: Freshwater ecosystem, History
the species could only be found in the swamp lands and wetlands of southern China
View the Source3. GBIF (Global Biodiversity Information Facility): GBIF species profile for Elaphurus davidianus
GBIF (Global Biodiversity Information Facility)Species profile: habitatQuote, Species profile: habitat
"habitat": "terrestrial"
4. GBIF: Elaphurus davidianus
GBIFDistributions, IUCN Red List threat statusQuote, Distributions, IUCN Red List threat status
threatStatus: EXTINCT_IN_THE_WILD
5. Ecological Archives E095-178 (Wilman et al. 2014): EltonTraits 1.0 mammal diet data
Ecological Archives E095-178 (Wilman et al. 2014)Row: elaphurus davidianus, Activity columns (Crepuscular 1)
5311 Elaphurus davidianus Cervidae 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 100 Ref_1 ABC G A 0 1 1 Ref_3 D2 149000 Ref_117 1
Row: elaphurus davidianus, Activity columns (Diurnal 1)
5311 Elaphurus davidianus Cervidae 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 100 Ref_1 ABC G A 0 1 1 Ref_3 D2 149000 Ref_117 1
Row: elaphurus davidianus, BodyMass-Value 149000 g (149.0 kg); band set by mass: medium from 1.2 kg to under 32 kg, large from 32 kg to under 1000 kg
5311 Elaphurus davidianus Cervidae 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 100 Ref_1 ABC G A 0 1 1 Ref_3 D2 149000 Ref_117 1
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