2 newborns at Shanghai's first elk habitat

Editor's note:

Shanghai has strived to promote wildlife habitats for a decade to improve the ecology, wildlife dispersion and land usage.

So far, 21 habitats have been created in Minhang, Songjiang, Chongming, Baoshan, Qingpu, Fengxian, Jiading, Jinshan and the Pudong New Area to make homes for wildlife.

The goal is to improve the city's biodiversity and the harmonious coexistence of humans and nature by rebuilding ecosystems. It will leave the city with a valuable ecological heritage.

Let's take you on a tour of these ecological wildernesses.

The first elk habitat in Shanghai in Xincun Village on Chongming Island welcomed two new members recently, marking significant progress in the city's efforts to restore its elk population, the habitat announced on Saturday.

The habitat was created just two years ago. It was primarily farmland and forest, and spans approximately 210,000 square meters.

The two babies, with genders yet to be known, bring the total number of elks to six at the habitat.

The habitat was originally home to four elks – one male and three females. They were moved from the Dafeng Elk National Natural Reserve in Yancheng, Jiangsu Province, to Shanghai.

They were all just over two years old when they arrived.

"The male was small and was looked down upon by all the females when he just arrived," joked Zong Yunlong, a keeper of these elks.

"To make him have a better body shape, we increased nutrition and fed him with mixture of corn, vitamin powder, soybean meal and wheat bran."

Chen Xihan

Last winter, elk keepers found that two females were pregnant.

"We were very excited," recalled Fang Qunan, another keeper.

"We then increased the feed from 6 kilograms to 7.5 kilograms daily and raised the proportion of protein and micro-elements in their feed. We created an exclusive area for the babies with disinfection facilities, a water pool, muddy pit and grassland."

Chen Xihan

Keepers missed the moment of the delivery.

"It is a pity but we did not regret it," said Cai Rui, who is in charge of the habitat. "The principle of the habitat is wild raising and minimizing human interference.

"Elks are timid animals and have strong territorial consciousness. We want to leave enough space for them."

The objective of the habitat is to restore the elk population and the island's biological richness, as well as undertake studies on their return to the wild, according to the Shanghai Greenery and Public Sanitation Bureau.

Chen Xihan

According to experts, it is an encouraging start for wildlife protection in Shanghai.

Since 2013, Shanghai has been running a program for fostering wildlife habitat. Li Zirong, deputy director of the Shanghai Forestry Station, said that the places that have been chosen for the program have good ecological conditions and a lot of wildlife species.

They are home to frogs, birds, river deer and badgers. Only Xincun Village is home to elks.

Elks were known as sibuxiang (四不像) in ancient China, which means they have the features of four different animals – the face of a horse, the antlers of a deer, the neck of a camel, and the tail of a donkey – but don't look exactly like any of them .

The middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River were their habitat, and Shanghai was one of the places where they became extinct.

They mainly lived in the plains and marshes of the Yangtze and Yellow rivers.

Chen Xihan

Elks became extinct in the wild due to shrinking habitat and hunting.

The only elks in China were at the royal hunting grounds in Beijing in the late 19th century. Some of them were transported to Europe.

In a joint project with the United Kingdom, 77 elks were reintroduced to China in 1985 and 1986.

By the end of 2020, China had more than 8,000 elks, with 2,855 of them roaming in the wild.

The elk population in Shanghai will grow after they adapt to their new environment, according to the bureau.

"Shanghai was one of the places in China where wildlife was last seen, therefore, reintroducing them into the city is of great significance," said Li. "If the population increases, it will be a valuable ecological legacy for the city."

The habitat of elks comprises five areas, including a living area and one for education.

It will be open to the public so that visitors can learn about elks and observe how they live.