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Li Pengfei, a senior researcher at Tian'ezhou Milu National Nature Reserve in Hubei province, has been busy dealing with a messy situation, as several milu recently ran into a local watermelon field and damaged parts of the farmland.
"Local farmers grow watermelons in the milu's living area, and milu love eating watermelons. They often use their hoofs to open watermelons and eat them all."
Li says even though local farmers did not suffer great losses this time, the fight between man and deer has never stopped.
To better understand the conflict, a brief history lesson is needed.
The milu was China's endemic species. In the late 19th century, the world's only herd was maintained in the Nanyuan Royal Hunting Garden in Nanhaizi near Beijing. In 1895, one of the walls of the hunting garden was destroyed by a heavy flood, and most of the milu escaped and were killed and eaten by starving farmers. Fewer than 30 milu remained in the garden.
Then in 1900, during the Boxer Rebellion, the garden was occupied by troops and the remaining deer were shot and eaten, leaving the animal extinct in China. Only 18 milu remained worldwide at that time and they were collected and brought to Britain by the 11th Duke of Bedford.
It was not until 1985 that milu were sent back to China, and 22 of them were shipped to Beijing Nanhaizi Milu Park.
In 1991, Tian'ezhou Milu National Nature Reserve was built, and 94 milu were brought to Hubei from Beijing.
Wen Huajun, director of Management Office at Tian'ezhou, explains the difference between the Reserve in Hubei and the Park in Beijing.
"Both aim to protect milu. That is our main quest. However, Beijing Nanhaizi Milu Park focuses more on research and education, while here in Tian'ezhou, we just try to return the deer back to the wild."
The goal is difficult to achieve because a large part of the Reserve overlaps with farmland. The chance of milu running into the field is pretty high. However, Wen stresses that no one has ever retaliated by hurting milu.
"Although the farmlands have been ruined by milu before, the farmers help us save the deer all the time."
Touched by such behavior, Wen says the Reserve will call on the government to offer more subsidies to local farmers.
The local government has in fact been making various efforts over the years. For example, it once tried to ease the tension between milu and neighboring farmers by land replacement. Eventually, more than 11-hundred farmers in the region agreed to give up 213 hectares of land and accepted an area of comparable size three miles away from the Reserve.
In the meantime, the Reserve has been working with local schools to help raise awareness of milu protection among students and parents.
Liu Zhifa, principal of Tian'ezhou School, says it is important to open such a class.
"It aims to cultivate students' consciousness of protecting milu. And through kids, their parents will be more willing to accept the idea as well."
Although the measures taken by the local government and the reserve have not completely overcome the conflict between the deer and the farmers, the effort will likely make a difference in the long run.
