Dafeng
Dafeng () is a coastal district under the administration of Yancheng, Jiangsu province, China. Located on the Jiangsu North Plain with a coastline of , Dafeng was historically one of the largest salt-making areas in China and now is famed for its ...
,
Jiangsu Province
Jiangsu (; ; pinyin: Jiāngsū, alternatively romanized as Kiangsu or Chiangsu) is an eastern coastal province of the People's Republic of China. It is one of the leading provinces in finance, education, technology, and tourism, with its ca ...
and near the
Yellow Sea
The Yellow Sea is a marginal sea of the Western Pacific Ocean located between mainland China and the Korean Peninsula, and can be considered the northwestern part of the East China Sea. It is one of four seas named after common colour terms ...
coast in eastern China, with the whole area 78000 ha, the core area 2668 ha, the buffer area 2220, and the experimental area 73112. The Geological landforms are typical coastal wetland, including tidal flats, seasonal stream and part of artificial wetland together with a lot of forest land, salt marsh, and bare land. The city of Dafeng belongs to subtropical and warm temperate zone, where thermophilic crops can grow well and influenced by the East Asian monsoon. The average annual temperature is 14.5 °C and the normal precipitation is over 750 mm per year.
Milu’s Extinction in China
Milu is also known as
Père David's deer
The Père David's deer (''Elaphurus davidianus''), also known as the ''milu'' () or elaphure, is a species of deer native to the subtropical river valleys of China. It grazes mainly on grass and aquatic plants. It is the only extant member of ...
or elaphure, a species of deer that is currently extinct in the wild. They are native to the subtropics of China, preferring marshland environment and grazing mainly on grass and aquatic plants. Early in neolithic times, the milu’s range extended across the majority of mainland China. Archaeologists have found milu antlers at settlements from the Liao River in the north to Jiangsu (including Dafeng) and Zhejiang Province and across the Yellow and Yangtze River Basins in Shaanxi and Hunan Province. However, in the late 19th century, there was only one herd belonged to Tongzhi, the Emperor of China and maintained in the Nanyuan Royal Hunting Garden. Then in 1900, the garden was occupied by German troops and some of the deer were shot and eaten by the German soldiers, some were illegally transported to Europe for exhibition and breeding.
Characteristics of Dafeng Milu Nature Reserve
Dafeng Milu Nature Reserve is a second
reintroduction
Species reintroduction is the deliberate release of a species into the wild, from captivity or other areas where the organism is capable of survival. The goal of species reintroduction is to establish a healthy, genetically diverse, self-sustainin ...
of Milu into China in 1986 where 36 milu were chosen from five UK zoological gardens with the bulk of the deer coming from Whipsnade Wild Animal Park sponsored by National Forestry Department of China and World Wildlife Fund. It is an unpolluted wetland and has been recognized as a fabulous conservation land for Milu. In 2006, the population at this Nature Reserve had researched around 950 with an average annual population increases 17%. It is now the largest Milu Nature Reserve in the world, and in 1997 it was awarded as the National Nature Reserve in China. The reserve has been designated as a
Ramsar site
A Ramsar site is a wetland site designated to be of international importance under the Ramsar Convention,8 ha (O)
*** Permanent 8 ha (P)
*** Seasonal Intermittent < 8 ha(Ts)
**
The Reserves have 14 species of animals, 182 species of birds, 27 reptiles and amphibian species, and more than 299 kinds of insects relying on the immense coastline and wetland, which is the paradise of the wildlife. The ecosystem of forest, grassland, water, deer and bird is being created in the Reserve and these species are living in a harmonious biological cycle. Milu have been listed as extinct in the wild, as all populations are under captive management. In Dafeng Nature Reserve, free-ranging projects have been put forward since 1986, after 10 years’ exploring, the free-ranging population has increased 13.2% by year and formed the herd of 118 free-ranging milu. Until 2013.9, the population has increased to 2027 in the Reserve.
Tourism Destination
Since it was opened to the public as the tourism attraction, until now more than 1 million tourists have visited the Reserve and were educated for wildlife conservation and the importance of environmental protection. There are some tourism measures that meet the sustainable development:
* Fengshen Tower (water tower)
The water tower was constructed to memorize 39 milu coming back in 1986, which has the main function to storage water in order to resolve the water shortage problem in the Reserve. Tourist can also step onto the top of the tower to overview the Reserve.
* Deer viewing Platform
The Platform was the imitation of that in Nanyuan Royal Hunting Garden, which can facilitate the tourists to enjoy the sight of peaceful deer from a distance.
* The Tomb for 39 returning Milu
In order to memorize those 39 milu, the tomb was constructed for telling the history for tourists and informing the complexity of the range of deer become larger.
* Tourists Route
In order to protect Milu and other species, tourist can travel in the outer circle by golf car and observe them from a distance.