Once-abandoned milu deer gives life to a second baby

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A milu deer once abandoned by her parents gave birth to a second baby on Friday in the East Dongting Lake National Nature Reserve, central China's Hunan Province.

Milu deer is under the first-class state protection in China, but this fact did not stop Diandian's parents from abandoning her seven years ago when the creature was barely two days old. The staff of the nature reserve spotted the injured cub shaking helplessly alone deep in the reeds, and saved the young deer, naming her Diandian.

A male milu deer. /VCG Photo‍

Five years after she was saved, the grown-up Diandian made a family of her own and delivered her first baby in 2017, who was named "Xiaobudian." Unlike the mother, Xiaobudian was treated with delicate parental care before it grew up and moved out to live with other deer.

Now, Diandian's newly-born daughter has brought the family another round of joy. This second child of the family is named "Eryatou," which means "the second daughter" in Chinese. Eryatou, still ignorant of the world around her, tails her mother all day long, whether Diandian is feeding on grass or napping in the pond.

A female milu deer kissing her children in east China's Jiangsu Province. /VCG Photo

As Eryatou is still dependent on her mother's milk, the reserve's staff feed Diandian twice a day to make sure she gets sufficient nutrition.

"We have arranged special staff on duty and minimized human interference. We also replenish nutrition to the baby deer so that it could grow up healthy," said Li Zheng, manager of the Milu Deer Center at the East Dongting Lake Nature Reserve.

Three newly born milu deer are taken care of by the herd. /VCG Photo

To shield the family from rising temperatures, the center also arranged water pumps to replenish water. Channels and ponds were also dug so the deer could bathe in them.

Aside from Diandian, the center has saved six other milu deer since 2012.

A herd of milu deer is running in Dafeng Milu National Nature Reserve in east China's Jiangsu Province. /VCG Photo

(Cover images via VCG)

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