Safari Park Success As Risk to Rare Deer Breed Averted

By LARRY NEILD City Editor

A CENTURY ago, there were just 18 of a rare species of deer in the world, having been wiped out in a great flood or eaten during the Boxer rebellion of 1900 in China.

Now Knowsley Safari Park has successfully bred so many of the Pere David’s deer they are being exported to a wetland trust in Kent.

The park, owned by Lord Derby, is even involved in an ambitious project to re-introduce the deer to its original delta wetland in China.

Despite the success of the breeding programme at Knowsley, the deer is still officially designated as critically endangered.

Knowsley Safari Park has already dispatched a breeding group of 19 Pere David’s deer to the Wetland Trust at Icklesham in Kent where they are settling in well on their favourite marshy ground.

Pere David’s deer are originally from the swamplands of China where they were discovered in 1865 by the French missionary and explorer, Pere Armand David – hence the name.

A major flood in 1894 killed many of the deer and the rest were killed for food in a famine in 1900 during the Boxer rebellion.

Although extinct in their home country, just 18 deer were left in zoos in Europe and these were collected together by the 11th Duke of Bedford at his park at Woburn.

Over the intervening decades the Pere Davids’ have bred very successfully at Woburn and other zoos and parks, although they are still classified as a “critically endangered” species in the wild.

Before the recent group left for Kent, Knowsley had a herd of more than 100 animals and last year the only twin Pere David’s ever to have been born in captivity were raised at the attraction.

In addition, Pere David’s born at Knowsley have been part of a successful programme to reintroduce the deer to their Chinese homeland.

Safari Park general manager, David Ross, said: “The Pere David’s deer story is a very good example of the important role that zoos and safari parks can play in protecting rare species.

“Unlike most deer, Pere David’s like water and swim well, so here at Knowsley they can usually be found on the marshy land around our lakes and ponds.

“Our herd has been breeding wonderfully well in recent years, which is why we have been able to send a group to Kent where the Trust’s wetland environment will really suit them.”

IF ANY of the deer do get homesick, they will find a little reminder of Merseyside on their doorstep.

Sir Paul McCartney’s recording studio is located in a converted windmill in the nearby village of Ickesham – hopefully playing Love Me Doe.

larryneild@dailypost.co.uk