Is the sika deer a nationally protected animal? A detailed introduction to its protection level

The sika deer has a brownish-yellow body with white markings and a cute appearance. They are timid and lively, mainly living in forests and grasslands. With human activity, their numbers have become fewer and fewer. So, is the sika deer a protected animal?

1. Is the sika deer a protected animal

The sika deer is a national first-class protected animal in China. Due to the destruction of vegetation and excessive hunting by humans, its numbers have dropped sharply. It has been listed in the "China Red Data Book of Endangered Animals" —— Endangered, and listed in the IUCN 2015 "Red List of Threatened Species" ver3.1 —— Least Concern (LC).

2. Characteristics of the sika deer

The sika deer has a body length of 125-145 cm, a tail length of 12-13 cm, and a weight of 70-100 kg. It is a medium-sized deer. Their eyes are large and round, the face is relatively long, the lachrymal pits are obvious, and the ears are long and upright. The neck is long. The limbs are slender, the main hooves are narrow and pointed, and the side hooves are small. The tail is relatively short.

The fur color changes with the seasons. In summer it is brownish yellow or chestnut red, and in winter it is smoky brown. The body has many white spots, like plum blossoms, hence the name. There is a black line on the back running from the tips of the ears to the tail, the abdomen is white, and there are white spots on the rump.

Male deer have a pair of large long antlers with branches on them, which are shed every spring. These are their weapons for fighting and defense. Female deer do not have antlers.

3. Current status of the sika deer

The sika deer is a species endemic to East Asia. Abroad, it is found in eastern Russia, Japan and Korea. In the past it was widely distributed throughout China, but now it survives only in a limited number of areas such as Jilin, central Inner Mongolia, southern Anhui, northern Jiangxi, western Zhejiang, Sichuan and Guangxi. Taiwan, China also has one endemic subspecies.

Now some regions of countries such as the United States, the Philippines, Poland, Ukraine, the United Kingdom, France, Germany and Ireland have introduced sika deer.

Due to human activity, many species are already on the verge of extinction. We should take good protective measures, achieve a state of harmonious coexistence with nature, and protect species diversity.