Père David’s Deer

More Information

Père David’s deer are medium-sized deer with stocky frames. They are about 6–7 feet long and 4 feet tall at the shoulder. Called milu in their native range, the deer tolerate cold, seasonally flooded conditions well. They live in single-sex herds and mate from June to August. After a nine- or ten-month gestation period, one fawn is born. Fawns reach maturity at around 2 years old.

Hunted into extinction in the wild well over a century ago, the deer existed in just one imperial preserve in Beijing by the mid-19th century. Unfortunately, that was destroyed by warfare and flooding a few decades later.

Did You Know?

• Père David’s deer are named after the French missionary who brought several to Europe, saving the species when the game preserve the rest lived in was wiped out.
• They are comfortable in water, with webbed toes that help them swim. They eat aquatic plants.
• Unlike other deer, Père David’s deer have antlers with a front branch that’s as large or larger than the rear-pointing branch.