Sika deer, thought to be extinct in the wild in northeast China 20 years ago, has seen rapid growth in its population since the Northeast China Tiger and Leopard National Park, which straddles the provinces of Heilongjiang and Jilin, was established.

The park went into trial operation in August 2017 and has a planned area of 14,065 square kilometers and a forest coverage rate of 97.74 percent.

Now forest rangers encounter sika deer in the park almost every day.

"I once saw a group of sika deer in person. There were nearly 200 of them," said Li Ping, deputy director of the Hunchun division of the management bureau of the Northeast China Tiger and Leopard National Park.

Sika deer have gradually let down their guard against forest rangers who live with them peacefully. The rangers can often get very close to them or film them.

"I was once only three or four meters from them, very close," said Zhao Yan, a forest ranger.

Sika deer, classified as a wild animal under first-class state protection, is a very important link in the food chain of the Northeast Tiger and Leopard National Park. It is one of the main prey of Siberian tigers, a flagship species of the park and one of the most endangered animals in the world.

"The ecosystem of the Northeast Tiger and Leopard National Park has been restoring in a systematic way. The populations of many animal species have grown rapidly in the park. The number of wild sika deer, which were thought to be extinct two decades ago, has recovered to several thousands now in the core area of the park," said Feng Limin, deputy director of the Monitoring and Research Center of Siberian Tigers and Amur Leopards under the National Forestry and Grassland Administration.

China on Tuesday officially designated the first group of national parks, including the Northeast China Tiger and Leopard National Park, a habitat for Siberian tigers, Amur leopards, sika deer and many other wild animals.

(Cover image via screenshot)

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