Milu deer thrive in China through four decades of conservation

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Milu deer are seen at Shishou Milu Deer National Nature Reserve in Hubei Province on November 25, 2025. /VCG

Milu deer are seen at Shishou Milu Deer National Nature Reserve in Hubei Province on November 27, 2025. /VCG

Milu deer are seen at Shishou Milu Deer National Nature Reserve in Hubei Province on November 26, 2025. /VCG

From extinction to a remarkable population recovery, the milu deer, a species native to China, has flourished thanks to 40 years of conservation efforts.

The milu became extinct in China in the late Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), with only a small number of individuals surviving in captivity in Europe.

China began reintroducing the species in 1985 through cooperation with the United Kingdom. Since then, the milu population has surged from just 77 individuals to around 15,000, including more than 6,000 now living in the wild – the largest wild milu population in the world.