National Parks of Taiwan

To increase the genetic diversity of its Formosan sika deer(Cervus nippon taiouanus 台灣梅花鹿) Taipei Zoo asked Kenting National Park Headquarters to give it five such deer (three males and two females). The request was happily accepted by the park headquarters and they were delivered to the zoo on November 17, 2009.This was the second time that the national park headquarters has given deer to the zoo; the first time was in the 1990s. The two Formosan sika deer given to Mainland China in exchange for the two pandas Tuantuan and Yuanyuan also came from Kenting National Park.

Over the years the national park headquarters has presented 103 sika deer to eight organizations, for use in environmental education, academic research and as a genetic resource for the conservation of the species. Apart from reintroducing this native species back to the forests it once roamed, maintenance of biodiversity is also an important benefit of breeding success.

In the 14 wild releases under the Formosan sika deer restoration plan 233 deer have been released and is estimated that the wild population is now around 1500 deer. Restoration work has already achieved the target of the plan—allowing the Formosan sika to return to the forests of Taiwan from where it had at one time completely disappeared.

Translated by：Kevin Lax
Source：Kenting National Park Headquarters