Last specimen of the cervid in China was eaten by German soldiers after the Boxer Rebellion. The species is still classified as "extinct in the wild" by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
About 200 specimens live in a semi-wild habitat in the former imperial imperial domain of Nanjing. The Chinese government has designated 18% of the national territory as a protected area for the protection of biodiversity. The number of specimens is expected to rise to 8,000 by 2021, according to the Chinese Ministry of Environment.