Reintroducing Père David's Deer In The Dongting Lake Region, China: History, Practice And Feasibility

The final goal of the species reintroduction is to establish self-sustained wild population. The reintroduction of Pere David's deer is the first large-size species reintroduction project in China. At present, three large Pere David's deer populations have been established in the Beijing Pere David's Deer Park, Dafeng Pere David's Deer National Nature Reserve in Jiangsu and Shishou Pere David's Deer Nature National Reserve in Hubei, which represent three types of captive breeding, semi free ranging and free ranging. Wetlands around the Dongting Lake were the ancient habitats of the Pere David's deer. From July 2000 to April 2004, we studied the reintroduction and population development of the Pere David's deer population in the Shishou National Nature Reserve, surveyed the climate and vegetations on the several islands in the Dongting Lake, where were proposed to be the candidate sites for the reintroduction of Pere David's deer in the Dongting Lake and finally studied the feasibility of reintroducing Pere David's deer in the Jicheng Yuan and the Julin Yuan, two islands in the Dongting Lake. The results were as follows:1. The enlightenment that extinct and endangered mammals in Hunan since Quaternary Period is for Pere David's deer reintroduction.During the period Ming to Qing Dynasty, many species became extinct in middle-lower reaches of Changjiang River, including Pere David's deer. Evolvement of ancient geography, ancient climate and the effects of Human disturbance in Hunan lead to the extinction of Asiatic elephant (Elephas maximus), rhinoceros (Rhinoceros spp.), golden monkey (Rhinopithecus roxellanae), gibbons (Hylobates spp.), giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleucd), Pere David's deer (Elaphurus davidianus), crested ibis (Nipponia nippon), Chinese river dolphin (Lipotes vexillifer), and Chinese alligator(,Allzgator sinensis)in the area. Before human being settled down in the area, the development and extinction of these animals was influenced by natural environment and natural disasters. However, since human being settled down in the region, human activities were the major reason of the extinction of local fauna, especially hunting and habitat loss.There are 104 wild mammals recorded in Hunan, among them, 21 species are belonging to the national important protected wildlife, 5 species are critically endangered, 6 species endangered and 10 species vulnerable. Today, the primary causes threatening the survival of mammals are habitat loss, environment pollution, hunting, competition for food and habitat among wildlife.Historically, both internal and external causes were related to the extinction and endangerment of wildlife. The effects of human activities for present endangered species were much greater. So, these factors ought to consider that reintroducing Pere David's deer in Dongting Lake region: stead population, enough and feasible habitat, the developing direction of nature condition, eliminating the killing and human disturbing, controlling population ecodensity.2. The reintroduction and population development of Pere David's deer in Shishou.64 Pere David's deer (18 , 46 ) were introduced into the Shishou National Nature Reserve, Hubei from Beijing David's Deer Park in 1993 and 1994, and put in Tianezhou, which was an island made up of old Changjiang riverway and located in Shishou. In initial stage, the project manager conceived to isolate the population by old Changjiang riverway. Due to a heavy flood in 1998, a group of Pere 36 (7 ,29) Pere David's deer escaped from the Tianezhou Nature Reserve and became a wild herd. The group size of the escaped Pere David's deer increased from 36 in 1998 to 171 in 2003, and the annual growth was 30%, and the population in the free ranging population mounted to 281. The calving season of Pere David's deer population in nature reserve started on 8th, March, and the fastigium was from Mar. to Apr. The rutting season started in the last ten-day in May and last to the end of July, and the fastigium was from the last ten days of May to the early ten days o...