(CFP Photo)

The number of wild milu deer, or Pere David's deer, in the Tiaozini Wetland of Yancheng City has increased from around 50 in 2020 to nearly 900 now.

The milu deer is believed to have originated 2-3 million years ago. In 1986, 39 milu deer was introduced to the Dafeng Nature Reserve in Yancheng, and now the population in the protected zone has risen to more than 7,000, including 3,000 roaming in the wide.

Dafeng began releasing milu deer into the wide in 1998. Monitoring shows that the population of wild milu has continued to increase over the years, with their habitat expanding to Tiaozini Wetland, located about 40 kilometers away.

Tiaozini is part of the Yancheng wetlands that UNESCO granted world heritage status and has been placed under better protection with less human interference. The area has a good environment, with fresh water and plenty of tender grass. As a result, milu deer began to settle here, and its population has been increasing in these years.