It survived floods, smuggling
and even bombs
.
On the verge of extinction, the so-called
Father David deer
is roaring again in China, its land of origin, after spending several decades in Europe.
The extraordinary survival of this cervid with impressive horns reflects the importance of international cooperation.
The last of its species was believed to have been eaten by German soldiers (AFP).
Disappearing in China at the end of the 19th century,
the animal was reintroduced a hundred years later and currently has
8,000 specimens
, the Chinese Ministry of Environment estimated in 2021.
"Its survival against all odds is due to the luck and determination of a small group of friends of nature in China and abroad," summarizes Zhou Jinfeng, a member of the association who participated in the reintroduction of the animal in his country.
This species is named after Father
Armand David,
a French missionary who discovered it in the mid-19th century in its last natural refuge, a hunting area of the Chinese emperor south of Beijing.
They survived everything
In 1895, the herd narrowly avoided extinction
after a flood
of this swampy terrain.
Five years later, the last specimen
was shot down and eaten by German soldiers
deployed there to occupy the Chinese capital after the Boxer Rebellion.
Fortunately, some of these animals had been
sent to Europe.
It was thanks to this initiative that
22 of their descendants
were able to be returned to China in 1985, within the framework of a rapprochement between Beijing and London, before the retrocession of Hong Kong to the Asian giant.
Currently, about
200 specimens live in a semi-wild habitat
in the former imperial domain of Nanhaizi.
One of them washing his antlers in a river in China (AFP).
The story of the survival of Father David's deer is less known than that of the giant panda, one of the symbols of endangered fauna that today has more than
1,800 individuals
and has been removed from the list of threatened species.
The Chinese power boasts of its efforts in protecting biodiversity.
China designated 18% of the national territory as a protected area.
But deforestation, illegal subsoil exploitation and tourism hamper the future of these reserves and the animals' habitat.
The last specimen in China was shot down and eaten by German soldiers after the Boxer Rebellion (AFP).
"China invested billions to save pandas, elephants and other animals, but the growth of the industry seriously damaged biodiversity in many regions of the country," admits Zhou, of the Foundation for Green Development and Protection of Nature. Biodiversity in China.
After decades of industrialization and massive urbanization, pollution has wreaked havoc on species such as
the Yangtze dolphin,
considered practically extinct, or
the Chinese alligator
, a critically endangered species.
A duke saved them from extinction
Father David's deer survived also thanks to the efforts of the
Duke of Bedford,
an English nobleman who managed to multiply the species in his lands north of London.
During the Second World War, the duke had to move the herd several times to
avoid German bombing.
Their transfer to Europe "was an unexpected blessing since the population was able to survive after its extinction in China," says Zhou.
This cervid is still classified as "extinct in the wild" (AFP).
This cervid is still classified as
"extinct in the wild",
according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
But some of its specimens were taken to natural areas and China hopes to reconstitute
a wild species.
"China is their country... their food, climate and environment are doing well," adds Zhou.
AFP Agency.
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