In early June 2016, together with experts from Bangxi, Datianpo Deer Conservation Area and Kadoorie, Hong Kong, I conducted another field survey of Hainan Po deer. (Photo by Jiang Enyu)
Walking among the familiar mountains and meadows, watching the deer rush by from time to time, I was really in a cheerful mood and full of energy. In addition to the deer on the slope of Hainan, there are many other small animals, birds, insects, etc. in the reserve, and the biodiversity is very rich and dizzying.
The Hainan Po deer is very famous, is a unique species of Hainan Island and China, and is also one of the first important local protected species that I knew about since I came to Hainan Island.
In fact, 100 years ago, the Hainan po deer was widely distributed and the number of Hainan islands was also very large, which was not unusual. The picture shows the Hainan po deer with a handsome appearance, alert, agile, slim and healthy, and is an animal loved by everyone.
Later, with the gradual increase in the population of Hainan Island, the impact of human activities continued to expand, especially because the Hainan slope deer is full of treasures, its deer antlers, horns, blood, tendons, whips, tails, meat, placenta, etc. can be medicated, even bones and skin can be boiled into bone glue to eat, so they have also been bad luck, the wind of indiscriminate hunting and killing spread, making the number of deer on the slope of Hainan sharply reduced. Three young deer watched my camera warily.
By the early 1970s, the census showed that there were only more than 20 deer left on Hainan Island! It has reached the brink of extinction.
During the field expedition in early June, experts such as Yuan Xicai (1st from the right) and Chen Dale (2nd from the right) were planning the expedition route.
Head to the expedition area.
Inspection is very hard work, to follow the planned route through the forest, there is no road to go, just use a machete to cut the road out. In the sweltering woods, it is often only possible to walk two or three kilometers in a morning.
This expedition used "high-tech" equipment and used drones and infrared cameras to conduct aerial surveys at night, and the effect was good. This is the first time this advanced method has been used in the po deer survey.
Athletic bucks.
Jumping female deer.
Mud bath of the slope deer.
copulation.
In addition to the deer on the slope of Hainan, there are many other small animals, birds, insects, etc. in the reserve, and the biodiversity is very rich and dazzling. It's a pretty little-headed snake.
Another small-headed snake.
Gilding in the Gulf of Tonkin with a metallic sheen.
Can you see what's hidden in this tree? Color-changing tree lizards change their skin color as their environment changes.
Yellow-flowered american crown orchid.
Multi-flowered land orchid.
The seed of the false apple.
The flowers of dragon ball fruit.
A butterfly.
Silver line grey butterfly.
The cracked eagle wing moth, this flight ability is strong and fast, but I don't know why it stopped in this place during the day, it was too dangerous.
A kind of butterfly.
Larvae of butterflies.
Tailless butterfly.
Whose cub is this? I don't know yet.
Vermilion-backed pecking birds.
Raw chickens and squirrels.
A golden spotted tiger armor dragging a long shadow running is very strange, this is a fast, good at running insects. The rainforest is full of flowers and trees, insects and animals, which deserve our careful care.