Dafeng Milu deer National Park

Eatablished in 1985, the Dafeng Milu Deer National park offers a new home to more milu deer, whose forerunners were introduced from the Beijing Nan Haizi Milu Deer Park. Covering a total area of 1,000 hectares, the park is the largest milu deer refuge in the world. Located at the seashore of the Yellow Sea in the north of Jiangsu Province, the park is a flat plain stretching along the seashore, which is interspersed with wooded swamps, fresh-water marshes, ponds, scattered forests and meadows. Bordered on the east by the Yellow Sea, the lush vegetation, the 13.5 °C of annual mean temperature Established in 1985, the Dafeng Milu Deer National Park offers a new home to more milu deer, whose forerunners re, the 999.7 millimeters of annual mean precipitation and the salty soil make the park a comfortable home to the milu deer. Fossil evidence discovered in this area shows that Dafeng had once been prolific in milu deer, and it had been one of the best habitats for milu deer a long time ago. The luxuriant plants ensure a sufficient food supply for the milu deer, and the sparse population in this area imposes a little disturbance upon them.

The park embraces a wide variety of habitats from wet and lush coast lands of the Yellow Sea to great marshes and plains, and the land supports rich and varied wildlife communities along with a fascinating array of botanical species, some highly rare and unusual. It harbors 14 species of beasts. Common and abundant are great herds of milu deer, a key animal at the first level of state protection, who has its largest and densest population in this part of the country. The carpets of green grasses and the brushy thickets in this park attract them and give them their favorite food. They come to gobble up the plentiful supply of berries, and also dine on almost any other plants that are edible. They are best sought before mid­summer when dense vegetation makes them hard to see. Many milu deer spend some of their daytime reclining in the tall grasses, mak­ing themselves so well camouflaged that only their limpid eyes and twitching ears show, or resting in the shady forests to be sheltered from the sun. After feeding, they stay in the open field, looking around or frolicking each other. Visitors can spot them quite easily at this time. It is a heart-stopping sight of milu deer, who are friendly with people. They kindly gaze at you as if they were having a word­less talk with you when you are in front of them; they gaze after you "even follow you as if they were unwilling to part with you when you are leaving them. Everyone enjoys the friendly deer in this park. For visitors or strangers, however, it is best to look rather than approach, and keep your distance, not to try and buddy with them.

Chinese river deer ( Hydropotes inermis ), another kind of key animal at the second level of state protection, has a population of over 20 individuals here in this park. As one of the important deni­zens here, they also roam and graze the grassland. The rapid habi­tat destruction and poaching have driven this endangered species to the edge of extinction. This park, therefore, offers an excellent refuge for this diminishing animal as well.

The park's grassy, brush and wetland habitat attracts and ac­commodates almost every kind of birds possible to this area, offer­ing breeding, migration and wintering habitat for huge numbers of birds especially a great variety of interesting waterfowls. The park is on a main migration route, and gets different droppings during the fall including some of the largest concentrations of migrating birds in the late fall. One hundred and eighty species of shore and wading birds and immense concentrations of waterfowls have a happy stay here though almost all of them are migrants, who feed and nest in the grasslands and on the ponds, fanning out over the fields for many times at daytime. At peak times, birds seem to be everywhere, both on the ground and in the air, and their calling and chattering can be heard for more than a mile. When they fly up, they seem to fill the air, creating a stunning sight that can leave the onlookers breathless. The most impressive sights are in fall migra­tion when waves of birds come in in late fall. Bird migration, therefore, brings many viewers. All the birds including a great num­ber of ducks and geese winter here. Hiking trails are closed in late fall and winter to offer quiet sanctuary to the wildlife.

Birds are common and readily visible. Among the interesting birds, sparrow hawks, fish owls, white-tailed eagles and sparrows circle above the clearings; their screams are almost an intrusion on the peacefulness of the plain. The loud, cackling calls of quails echo across the land. More melodious is the joyful, flute-like song of the meadow lark; this colorful bird sings almost unceasingly, but dur­ing courtship the males sing even more lustily, competing for mating. It is specially interesting to go to the edge of the marsh at dawn or dusk in the warm seasons, just sit down quietly to watch the birds and listen to the chorus of birds calling and singing, with an occa­sional frog chiming in. It is really like a wonderful concert.

Red-crowned cranes wade in the ponds or swamps with lei­surely gait. The majestic cranes with bright red-crowned heads sup­ported by long necks make them easy to identify and conspicuous among all the other birds here. As the largest migrant birds in this park, they come here in fall to winter here, and will fly a long distance to the northeast the following spring for a cool summer there.

Among the various birds here,Yangtze crowtit ( Paradoxornis heudei) is a kind of bird who winters in reeds and feeds on a kind of scale insect that occurs on the stems of reeds. It is an endangered species both in China and in Europe because of food shortage caused by reduction of reeds. It is also a key species under state protection in this refuge.

White storks, the second large birds here, stray in the ponds and the marshes. Thirteen species of reptiles and other animals now and then make their appearance to the delight of visitors.

The park has a scenic overlook-a 30-meter observation tower, which offers a breathtaking view of almost the entire sights of the park. The tower also serves as a facility for education and scientific research Milu deer and Chinese river deer are a popular attraction for visitors; the highly visible birds give you one of the best experi­ences of the park. In addition, an exhibition hall provides informa­tion and specimens about milu deer for education, scientific research and visitors. Wildlife observation and fishing are the major interesting items available for visitors.

The park has many small wildlife areas, that are maintained for purpose of furnishing breeding habitats for a wide variety of waterfowls. In non-breeding seasons, they are open to visitors so long as they make no disturbance to wildlife.

The park is eye-pleasing, especially in spring and summer. Spring turns the land into an explosion of colors as wildflowers bloom with brilliance. Wild lilies, orchids, grass pinks, meadow flow­ers and many other spring beauties adorn the landscape with dabs of orange, scarlet, maroon, and make the land more bright and colorful Wild irises nod gracefully on roadsides; some dainty blos­soms dangle from the tips of delicate stems, dance in response to the slightest of breezes; and around the ponds buttercups bear yellow flowers of sweet nectar, where bees hum. In summer, when pink water lotus blooms cover the water areas, wood ducks bring their downy broods to seek rest and shelter among their large bright green leaves.

The waters in the ponds and pools are so peaceful and clear that they show picturesque reflections of the flower-studded marshes and the blue sky. In contrast with the sounds of noisy city traffic, the park seems dead quiet, and it seems almost like another world.

The park is graced by the lush forests of black locust ( Robinia pseudoaeacio ), metasequoia ( Metasequoia glyptostroboides), poplar and Japanese timber bamboo ( Phyllostachus bambusoides ). Tall and dense reeds stand around the ponds; a great variety of temperate ­zone and subtropical herbs including different varieties of sedges carpet the land.