Antlers

In almost all deer species, only the males have antlers on their heads. They do not have these all year. Each year the entire antler falls off their head and a new one grows. With these antlers, the males try to impress the females during mating season.

Special deer

The Padre David deer is an unusual deer. For example, it is the only deer species in which the male sometimes gets new antlers twice a year. The points of the antlers point backward in the Padre David deer. In all other deer species, the points point forward. At 9.5 months, the gestation period is one of the longest of any deer species. All in all, a very special deer!

Almost gone

Father David deer belong in the wild in China. French Father Armand David first described this species of deer in 1861. They were almost extinct by then. They lived only in the garden of the Chinese emperor. After a great flood and civil war in 1899, the Father David deer were completely extinct in the wild.

Saved

A few years after Father David discovered these deer, the Chinese emperor sent some animals to Europe. Fortunately, or there would be no Father David deer now. An English duke brought all the Father David deer together in his safari park. Eventually, so many young were born that they were able to move back to other zoos. In 1985, the first Father David deer were brought from England to China. There they can now be found in three different wildlife parks.