Talk about the appearance characteristics, living habits and legendary experiences of elk.

Elk is a rare animal unique to China. It is good at swimming, and with wide hooves, it is very suitable for finding grass, leaves, aquatic plants and other foods in muddy and sparse swamp areas, and its habitat is in today's Yellow River Basin. The Yellow River Basin is a breeding ground for human beings, and the elk living here naturally become the target for people to hunt for food, which leads to a sharp decline in the number of this rare animal and its wild population will soon cease to exist. Fortunately, as early as 3,000 years ago in the Zhou Dynasty, the elk was captured in the Royal Hunting Garden, domesticated artificially and propagated for generations. Until the reign of Kangxi and Qianlong in the Qing Dynasty, there were still more than 200 elk in the Nanhaizi Royal Hunting Park in Beijing. This is the last group of elk living in the artificial environment in China. According to a large number of fossils and historical data, the wild elk was on the verge of extinction in the Qing Dynasty.

1865 Father Armand David, a French missionary and naturalist, discovered this strange animal when he was inspecting animals and plants in the south of Beijing. This is the first time the world has learned about elk from an academic point of view. In the following decades, the living elk were transported out of China to the west. At this time, due to the change of ecological environment, the elk in zoos in some European countries are facing the threat of extinction. Duke Bedford Xi of England, who loves animals and plants, bought all 18 elk raised in zoos in Paris, Berlin, Cologne, Antwerp and other places at a high price, and kept them in his Wubang Temple manor with rich water and grass. After careful care and stocking, 18 elk gradually multiplied.

1894, Yongding River overflowed and broke through Nanyuan city wall, and scattered elk became food for the hungry. By 1900, Eight-Nation Alliance invaded Beijing, and almost all the elk in the South Garden were killed. Some of them were shipped to all parts of Europe. It is said that only one pair was left, which was kept in a palace and later moved to Wansheng Garden (now Beijing Zoo) and died. At this point, elk, a unique animal in China, was completely extinct in China. The elk raised in Wubang Temple Manor has also become the only elk herd in the world. China people want to see their native animals, so they have to go abroad.

Although the wild milu deer became extinct, the natural population of milu deer was finally re-established in China through stocking. 1In August, 985, 20 young milu deer were welcomed from Wubang Temple in England, and were raised in Nanhaizi, where milu deer were raised in the Qing Dynasty, and an elk ecological research center and an elk garden were established. 1In August, 1986, London Zoo in England provided 39 milu deer free of charge and kept them in Dafeng Elk Reserve. So far, the elk in these two places have grown well and bred offspring. To this end, China has re-listed elk as a first-class protected animal.

[Edit this paragraph] Appearance characteristics

Elk is about 200 cm long. Shoulder height: 80-85cm (male), 70-75cm (female), larva weight: 35-40kg (male), 24-28kg (female). Generally, male elk can weigh up to 250 kg and have long horns, which are replaced once every two years. The female elk has no horns and is smaller. Because its head is like a horse, its horn is like a deer, its tail is like a donkey, and its hoof is like an ox, commonly known as "four unlike", Jiang Ziya's mount is even more legendary in the list of gods. Elk only has horns that grow from the stag, and each branch is cut backwards, which is unique among deer. Its neck and back are thick and its limbs are thick. The main hoof is wide and separable, with skin between toes and developed lateral hoof, which is suitable for walking in swamp. Hair is reddish brown in summer and grayish brown in winter; Newborn cubs are orange with white spots. The long tail is used to drive mosquitoes and flies to adapt to the swamp environment.

The male deer is bifurcated at the age of two, and the bifurcation angle is fully developed at the age of six. The head is big, the snout is long and narrow, the exposed part of the nose is wide, the eyes are small, and the suborbital glands are prominent. The limbs are stout, the main hoof is wide and fleshy, there are well-developed hanging hooves, and the knocking sound is loud when walking. The tail is particularly long, fluffy, gray-black, with a yellowish-white abdomen and a dark brown tail. In summer, the body hair is red rust color, with black longitudinal stripes on the back of the neck, and the abdomen and buttocks are brown and white. After September, body hair was replaced by long and thick gray winter hair.

[Edit this paragraph] Distribution scope

Elk is native to the marshland in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River in China. It feeds on grass and aquatic plants, and sometimes it eats seaweed in the sea. It is two meters long and weighs 300 kilograms. It flourished 10000 -3000 years ago. Elk fossils are distributed in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River from Shanxi Province to Heilongjiang Province in the west, and are also found in North Korea and Japan. Later, due to natural climate change and human hunting, it was almost extinct in the late Han Dynasty. In the Yuan Dynasty, Mongolian soldiers captured the remaining elk and transported them to the north for hunting. Extinct in nature. By the19th century, there were only about 200-300 groups left in Nanhaizi Royal Hunt Park. 1866 was discovered by the French missionary Father David and sent back to France. Latin species names were determined by French zoologist Miller Edward. Many countries use bribery, theft and other means to get some for their national zoos. 1894, Yongding River flooded and destroyed the wall of the Royal Hunting Garden. The remaining elk escaped, were chased and robbed by hungry people and later Eight-Nation Alliance, and disappeared in China.

1898 1 1 Duke Beffort of England spent a lot of money to buy back all 18 elk scattered in Paris, Antwerp, Berlin and Cologne and put them in Wubangs Manor. By 1983, 255 milu deer have been bred. In order to prevent their extinction, they began to evacuate to zoos in various countries.

Under the coordination of the World Animal Protection Organization, the British government decided to provide free population to China, and let the elk return to their hometown. 1985, 22 were released to Nanhaizi Royal Hunt Park in Daxing District, Beijing, and Nanhaizi Elk Park in Beijing was established. 1986 provided another 39, which were kept in the original elk producing area of Dafeng City, Jiangsu Province, and a nature reserve was established. 1987 and 18.

After reunification, elk breed rapidly. 1994, the government of China established the third elk reserve in Tianezhou, Shishou City, Hubei Province, and moved more than 90 elk from Beijing. At present, the total number of milu deer in China has reached 1320. But it is still an endangered species. There are no more than 2000 in the world.

[Edit this paragraph] Shishou Elk Nature Reserve

Shishou Elk Nature Reserve is located in Shishou City, Hubei Province, with geographical coordinates of east longitude112 33' and north latitude 29 49', with a total area of 1567 hectares. The nature reserve was established on 199 1 with the approval of Hubei provincial government. The main protection targets are elk and their habitats.

This area is located on the side of the ancient road of Swan Island in the Yangtze River, and it is a typical flat beach formed by alluvial and flood of modern river facies. The terrain is low and flat, about 35 meters above sea level. The soil in this area is fertile, the water quality is good, the grass is rich, and there is a vast reed swamp wetland. According to the preliminary investigation, there are 238 species of higher plants belonging to 64 families 168 genera, and more than one species of vertebrates 100, among which bustard and crane are national key protected wild animals. This area is a nature reserve established to realize the return of elk to nature. 1993 and 1994 introduced 64 milu deer from Beijing milu deer garden in two batches. Because the natural environment in this area is very suitable for the life and reproduction of elk, and there are as many as 1 19 kinds of elk edible plants with high biological yield, the establishment of Shishou Elk Nature Reserve has not only made great contributions to the return of elk to nature, but also provided successful experience for the return of large animals to nature and population recovery in the world.

[Edit this paragraph] Living habits

Elk live in groups, are good at swimming and like to feed on tender grass and other aquatic plants. Courtship estrus began at the end of June, lasted about 6 weeks, and reached its climax in the middle and late July. The male beast suddenly had a bad temper, not only gave out bursts of cries, but also scraped the ground with his horns, shot urine and rolled, smearing the liquid secreted by the infraorbital gland on the trunk. Confrontation and fighting often occur between males. The pregnant period of females is about 270 days, which is the longest among deer, and they usually give birth in April-May of the following year. The newborn baby weighs about 12kg, with orange-red fur and white spots. The leukoplakia disappears after 6-8 weeks, and the weight will reach 70kg after 3 months of birth. Sexually mature at the age of 2, with a life span of 20 years.

[Edit this paragraph] Protection level

Elk is a national first-class protected animal, and IUCN red book is extremely dangerous.

China elk returned to 38 in the first batch from 1985, and after stocking in Nanhaizi 1,000-mu deer park in Beijing, they gradually multiplied and moved to Shishou, Hubei Province, on the bank of the Yangtze River, successfully completing the project of returning to the wild. In addition, the elk along the Yellow Sea in Dafeng, Jiangsu Province are also booming. In addition, the number of elk raised in more than 20 zoos in China has reached 1 1,300 by the beginning of 2006. The success of the restoration and release of elk is an achievement of wildlife protection in China. It is not only a living teaching material for patriotism education, but also an important example to show the public the possibility and necessity of coordinated development between man and nature.

[Edit this paragraph] Population situation

The living elk are called Darwin species. According to the fossils found, there are four species of Elk, namely, Bifidobacterium, Jinnan, Lantian and Taiwan Province. Elk is an animal confined to the middle and late Quaternary. It has been confirmed from more than 65,438+090 known sites of elk fossils. In history, the distribution area of elk is as far away as Fenhe River Basin in Shanxi, Kangping in Liaoning in the north, Yuyao in Zhejiang in the south and coastal plains and islands in the east. The late Pleistocene elk population developed rapidly, reaching its peak in the middle of Holocene and declining rapidly after Shang and Zhou Dynasties.

Primitive people did not pose a threat to elk because of their low population density and low productivity. After the Shang and Zhou Dynasties, due to natural changes, elk's own reasons and human interference, the number of elk has been decreasing.

In terms of natural factors, because the elk is a warm and humid animal, and the temperature in China has been getting colder and colder in recent 5,000 years, and the marshes and waters have also decreased obviously, the changes in the natural environment have a great influence on the elk.

From its own factors, elk is a docile deer. According to our years of observation, the running speed of elk is not as fast as that of sika deer and roe deer, and male deer in estrus don't attack people like sika deer, red deer and white-lipped deer, accounting for a group of male deer who run when they see people approaching. During lactation, when people call their ears and measure their cubs, their cries can only attract the doe to watch from a distance, unlike other deer who attack people to protect their cubs. The struggle between male elk for mates is very mild, and there is no fierce collision and large-scale sports. The fighting time generally does not exceed 10 minute. The loser just turned and walked away, and the winner stopped chasing. There was almost no disability between deer and deer. After the male deer occupied the herd, when other male deer peeped at the female deer, the male deer occupied the herd only drove each other away by yelling and chasing. These characteristics determine that their ability to escape enemy harm is very poor, and they are easily killed by natural enemies and humans. Elk mainly feed on aquatic and terrestrial grasses and legumes, and its narrow feeding habits are also its own factors threatening its survival.

Population growth and agricultural development have invaded the living area of elk. The killing of human beings has seriously affected the survival of elk. Archaeological findings show that 1000 to 4000 years ago, the number of elk bones unearthed from human sites was equivalent to that of domestic pigs. It can be seen that at that time, elk were hunted as food by human beings. According to the records in Oracle Bone Inscriptions, the number of elk hunted in ancient times reached 348. In addition, elk are also made into various medicines to treat diseases and strengthen the body. In Compendium of Materia Medica, it is recorded that "the antler of elk is better than that of antler ... The antler of elk nourishes yin, which is mainly used to treat all blood diseases, soreness of bones and muscles, weakness of waist and knees, nourishing yin and tonifying kidney ..." In Peng Zu's Food Prescription, Jiazang Classic and Dictionary of Modern Chinese Medicine, the horns, antlers and bones of elk are the prescriptions. Elk has therefore become the object of human pursuit of treatment of diseases.

Natural factors and elk's own factors are the reasons for the gradual decrease of the distribution area and number of elk, while the interference of human activities is the decisive factor for the extinction of elk in the wild.

Elk has been extinct as a wild population for many years. 1On August 4th, 986, with the joint efforts of WWF and China Forestry Department, 39 elk from 7 zoos in Britain returned to their hometown-Dafeng, Jiangsu, and were kept in Dafeng Elk Reserve. At present, China Elk is mainly distributed in three nature reserves, namely Jiangsu Dafeng Elk National Nature Reserve, Beijing Daxing Elk Garden and Hubei Shishou Elk National Nature Reserve. Among them, Jiangsu Dafeng Elk Reserve covers an area of1170,000 mu, which is the largest elk reserve in the world, and its population ranks first in the world, accounting for about 28% of the world's elk population. Dafeng Elk National Nature Reserve is a natural and ideal place for raising elk in the wild. Suitable habitats and careful management by the staff in the reserve make the number of wild populations, reproduction rate and survival rate rank first in the world. After copying and expanding, it has now reached more than 1000. Jiangsu Dafeng Elk Reserve has the largest wild elk population in the world, and about 52 elk have been released into the wild here. At first, a self-sustaining wild population of elk was established in the world, which completely got rid of human dependence and ended the history that there was no wild population of elk for hundreds of years.

The threatened factor, the living elk, is called Darwin species. According to the fossils found, there are four species of Elk, namely, Bifidobacterium, South Shanxi, Lantian and Taiwan Province. Elk is an animal confined to the middle and late Quaternary. It has been confirmed from more than 65,438+090 known sites of elk fossils. In history, the distribution area of elk is as far away as Fenhe River Basin in Shanxi, Kangping in Liaoning in the north, Yuyao in Zhejiang in the south and coastal plains and islands in the east. The late Pleistocene elk population developed rapidly, reaching its peak in the middle of Holocene and declining rapidly after Shang and Zhou Dynasties.

Primitive people did not pose a threat to elk because of their low population density and low productivity. After the Shang and Zhou Dynasties, due to natural changes, elk's own reasons and human interference, the number of elk has been decreasing.

In terms of natural factors, because the elk is a warm and humid animal, and the temperature in China has been getting colder and colder in recent 5,000 years, and the marshes and waters have also decreased obviously, the changes in the natural environment have a great influence on the elk.

From its own factors, elk is a docile deer. According to our years of observation, the running speed of elk is not as fast as that of sika deer and roe deer, and male deer in estrus don't attack people like sika deer, red deer and white-lipped deer, accounting for a group of male deer who run when they see people approaching. During lactation, when people call their ears and measure their cubs, their cries can only attract the doe to watch from a distance, unlike other deer who attack people to protect their cubs. The struggle between male elk for mates is very mild, and there is no fierce collision and large-scale sports. The fighting time generally does not exceed 10 minute. The loser just turned and walked away, and the winner stopped chasing. There was almost no disability between deer and deer. After the male deer occupied the herd, when other male deer peeped at the female deer, the male deer occupied the herd only drove each other away by yelling and chasing. These characteristics determine that their ability to escape enemy harm is very poor, and they are easily killed by natural enemies and humans. Elk mainly feed on aquatic and terrestrial grasses and legumes, and its narrow feeding habits are also its own factors threatening its survival.

Population growth and agricultural development have invaded the living area of elk. The killing of human beings has seriously affected the survival of elk. Archaeological findings show that 1000 to 4000 years ago, the number of elk bones unearthed from human sites was equivalent to that of domestic pigs. It can be seen that at that time, elk were hunted as food by human beings. According to the records in Oracle Bone Inscriptions, the number of elk hunted in ancient times reached 348. In addition, elk are also made into various medicines to treat diseases and strengthen the body. In Compendium of Materia Medica, it is recorded that "the antler of elk is better than that of antler ... The antler of elk nourishes yin, which is mainly used to treat all blood diseases, soreness of bones and muscles, weakness of waist and knees, nourishing yin and tonifying kidney ..." In Peng Zu's Food Prescription, Jiazang Classic and Dictionary of Modern Chinese Medicine, the horns, antlers and bones of elk are the prescriptions. Elk has therefore become the object of human pursuit of treatment of diseases.