Deer as gift from Taiwan gives birth in Chinese mainland

A spotted deer sent as a gift to the Chinese mainland by Taiwan gave birth to a fawn on Wednesday in Weihai in eastern Shandong province. "It was such a big surprise that the spotted deer Dian Dian gave birth ahead of schedule," said Wang Jiansong, director of the Liugongdao National Forest Park, adding that the female baby deer is about 40 cm high and weighs 3.2 kilograms. A physical examination showed that the fawn is healthy. The fawn is now with its mother, consuming the doe's milk. The spotted deer, Fan Xing and Dian Dian, and the goats, Xiyangyang and Leyangyang, arrived at their new home in Liugongdao National Forest Park on April 16, and greeted the public on May 28. The pair of goats are expecting a kid in mid-November. The park staff have gone to the Internet, asking for suggestions for the names of the spotted deer and upcoming kid. "We all hope the deer and goats from Taiwan can give birth to cubs in their mainland home," Jason Yeh, Taipei Zoo director, previously told Xinhua. "If the deer and goats, who originally lived in sub-tropical Taiwan, could reproduce in the temperate zone on the mainland, it would be a success in maintaining the reproduction of endangered species," said Yeh. Both animals are critically endangered species, with about 1,000 such deer living in Taiwan. To help the animals adjust to their new environment and to avoid risks in the process, the pairs of deer and goats were quarantined for 30 days before their public debut.