WILD Chinese water deer, a species that has been missing from the Shanghai region for some 100 years, has finally found their niche in Binjiang Forest Park in Pudong New Area after two years of living in the park's wild areas where the Huangpu River, Yangtze River and the East China Sea merge into one.

Having totally acclimated to their home, a wetland area that includes a part of the alluvial plain at the Yangtze estuary, the endangered animal has increased from 12 in 2009 to today's 25 in a completely wild environment free of human interference. It is estimated that over the next five years the deer will increase to about 50.

Last month a deer map was unveiled to the public - a joint effort by tourists and photographers who have once seen or tracked the animals in the park.

The map highlights places the deer might visit to have a rest, find food or drink water. It requires tourists to take special care in these zones to ensure that voices are lowered and improper behavior such as feeding or frightening the deer are not allowed. Signboards are also set up to remind visitors.

"The deer are extremely timid and can easily be frightened by humans or another animals. They will run away immediately," says Huang Jin, the park's deputy office director.

With protected marshlands, camphor and redwood thickets and flowers galore, the park features more than 200,000 trees and shrubs and offers a natural environment for the deer.

"We have just left them alone since they came here two years ago. No feeding or sheltering are provided for them," Huang says.

This breeding program, meant to save the Chinese water deer from extinction, was started by the Shanghai Bureau of Greenery and Public Sanitation and the East China Normal University in November 2009, when the original group of four male deer and eight females were introduced from Zhoushan, Zhejiang Province.

Before being returned to the wild, the 12 deer were raised indoors for several months to become acclimated to the Shanghai environment.

"Chinese water deer, as a matter of fact, is a Shanghai-native species. They were the city's aboriginals," says Pei Enle, the director of the Shanghai Wild Life Preservation Station.

According to archives, Chinese water deer lived in Shanghai as early as the New Stone Age.

During the 1880s, they could still be found in some of the city's suburban districts such as Fengxian and Qingpu.

During the 1870s, British Duke Bedford was fascinated by a strange deer during his trip to Shanghai. Bedford bought the deer and transported them to Britain for further studies. The British biologists discovered it was an ancient deer species from the Cervidae family. Because the deer loved swimming, they called it "Chinese water deer."

However with rapid urbanization and population expansion, all traces of this local wild deer were totally lost in the early 20th century.

In 1987, the East China Normal University began raising the deer on Changxing Island in Chongming County. In 1989, three female deer gave birth to three babies, all healthy. Today almost 10,000 deer live on a ranch on the island.

"But these 25 deer in the Binjiang Forest Park are different - they are wild-bred, which means a lot more to the city," Pei says.

Wild Chinese water deer is the only Cervidae animal in the country's coastal plain and it is also the biggest mammal in Shanghai, top of the entire food chain. "Its return to the wild fills the blank, diversifies the local animal species and completes the ecological and biological system," Pei says.

The scientists installed radio devices on three deer's necks to monitor and trace them 24 hours in the wild.

"They are very shy and frightened of people. When frightened, they would dash about aimlessly, which can easily cause severe injuries or even death if they bump into a car, tree trunk or wall," Huang says. "The violent running will probably damage their vital organs, such as hearts and lungs, which can also do them great harm in the long term."

Last year a deer lost its way and wandered about at one of the park's gates. A dog chased and barked at it fiercely. Being greatly frightened, the deer ran out of the park to a nearby farmer's house where it damaged the plants and crops. The farmer called the park and the experts from the Pudong Wild Life Station brought the deer back.

"Locals are very nice to the deer. Most of the time, they live in harmony with human beings and other animals, but if they don't, residents know how to deal with them properly," the office director says.

Though living in an entirely wild environment, they still need some help from human beings on very rare occasions.

Last year a child saw a deer swimming in the river. Being discovered, it immediately swam back to the other side of the riverbank. However the deer couldn't stand up when it reached the bank.

The kid called the park staff workers. When they arrived and helped the deer out of the water, they found the deer was pregnant.

"We just let it go and wished the mum and her baby good luck," Huang says.

One morning several months ago, a lawn mowing worker found a tiny deer, as large as a rabbit, lying down and shivering in the grass. "It was a newborn and didn't know how to walk," Huang says.

The worker put on plastic gloves and carefully took it back to the deeper forest, where the deer group often goes. "We have to be very cautious not to contaminate it with the human smell, otherwise its mother would abandon it," Huang says.

After two years, the deer survive and thrive in the park. About 20 visitors have found the deer in their natural habitat and have taken more than 70 photos and two video clips of them. They also report that before 9am and after 3pm are the best times for tourists to see the deer.



Address: 3 Gaoshatan, Gaoqiao Town, Pudong (near Suitang Highway)

Open: 8am-5pmAdmission: 20 yuan (US$3)Tel: 5864-4791

Transport: Take Metro Line 6 to Gangcheng Road Station, then transfer to Waigaoqiao No.1 bus.