The Eld’s deer (Rucervus eldii) are large mammals found in Southeast Asia. They are known for their bow-like antlers on the males that can be 39 inches long. These antlers re-grow every year and are largest during breeding season. They live for around 16-20 years. Their coats change color with the seasons. During the summer they are a reddish-brown but during the winter they are dark brown. Males can grow to be around 71 inches and weigh anywhere between 27o – 390 pounds. Females only grow to be around 60 inches.

The Eld’s deer is native to Southeast Asia and used to live anywhere from India to Thailand and China. They prefer forests, valleys, and plains, avoiding very dense forests and coastal regions. They eat grass and are found in areas that are burned with the seasons for farming, eating the new grass that grows. They also eat crops like maize and peas. Eld’s deer prefer to stay in one general area, they don’t move around very often and can spend over a year in a small region.

Female deer travel alone or with their young. During mating season, females, along with their young, gather in large herds of around 50. Like females, males also tend to travel alone but during mating season they battle other males for the rights to a group of females that they can mate with. Females birth a single deer and after their birth they hide them in the tall grass to protect them. Fawns have white spots which fade away as they grow. Here’s a video of a newborn fawn in captivity that is part of the efforts to bring their population back.

Fun Fact: Day-length triggers the breeding season for Eld’s deer. While white-tail deer breed in the fall when day-length shortens, Eld’s deer breed in the spring when the days get longer.

In the last 15 years, the population of Eld’s deer has declined by over 50%. Only around 1,500 deer remain in the wild today. Since Eld’s deer like to live in grasslands, they can be easily hunted for food and for their antlers. It’s possible that Eld’s deer were heavily hunted for food for armies during several wars in Asia. Habitat destruction due to farming is another reason for their decline. Like many other endangered species, the small clusters of deer that remain today are isolated from other groups and this can cause inbreeding. Inbreeding reduced genetic variation and will cause the Eld’s deer population to suffer more. In 1976 the Hainan Datian Nature Reserve on Hainan Island in China was established. It’s purpose was to help the Eld’s deer recover and today, the population grows by 15% every year. So many deer now live in the reserve that some are moved to other parts of the island. The reserve also helps to raise awareness among locals about the endangered status of the deer.

There are also several facilities in North America that take care of Eld’s deer. The Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute has an endocrine lab that has allowed them to do research on the reproductive cycles of Eld’s deer which has helped them get the deer to reproduce. The Smithsonian partnered with Chatthin Wildlife Sanctuary in Myanmar to find where the Eld’s deer were living. If you’re interested in learning more about their efforts, click here! Researchers used radio-tracking along with geo-spatial data in order to track the population. They’re learning what part of the forests the locals need to use in order to live and are trying to work out ways that they can co-exist with the deer. Like many other endangered animals, Eld’s deer are important when it comes to learning about evolution and the environment that they live in. They also graze on plants and help to keep their ecosystem running smoothly. It’s important that they’re preserved and aren’t hunted to extinction. If you’d like to help the cause you can donate to the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute.

“Eld’s deer.” Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute, nationalzoo.si.edu/animals/elds-deer.

Eld’s deer. Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute, nationalzoo.si.edu/animals/elds-deer.

NZP Archives. Eld’s deer. Smithsonian Global, global.si.edu/projects/conserving-elds-deer-myanmar.