Sturdy Wild Male Sika Deer Strays into Hotel

At 9:34 PM on January 2, an unexpected and heartwarming scene unfolded at the Guoyuan Hotel in Muyu Town, Shennongjia Forestry District. Two tourists from China Three Gorges University（CTGU）, while taking a walk, encountered a special "visitor"—a male sika deer, a first-class nationally protected species. The sudden appearance of the deer disrupted the hotel’s tranquility. Initially startled by the large animal, the tourists concerned for its safety and feared it might get injured in the town, so they immediately called the police. Thus a heartfelt rescue operation began.

After receiving the call, the police quickly alerted the Muyu Management & Conservation Center of the Shennongjia National Park and rushed to the scene. In turn, the center contacted experts from the scientific research institute. Subsequently, three teams arrived at the location one after another. The experts confirmed that it was a healthy, adult male sika deer with robust build, swift running, and agile movements, weighing nearly 200 pounds. To prevent the deer from entering the town center and causing panic or harm, the experts quickly devised a plan to drive it out. Consisting of the experts, Muyu Center staff, local police, and the tourists, a team carefully herded this deer out of the alley and guarded several intersections. Through coordinated efforts, they gradually guided the deer back to the forest. Experts noted that male sika deer typically do not attack humans unless threatened or provoked.

About this hotel-break-into accident, the expert from the Science Research Institute of Shennongjia National Park has illustrated that, sika deer are normally social animals, while those adult male deer tend to live alone and possess a pronounced sense of territoriality. In recent years, the population of sika deer has gradually increased in Shennongjia region, benefiting from the continuous improvement of the local ecological environment as well as the decreasing threats from their natural enemies, which then led to the lack of living areas for these deer, forcing them to expand their habitat from their traditional regions to lower elevations. The images of sika deer activities monitored in current years by neighboring protected areas such as Wanchaoshan and Duheyuan could sufficiently prove that. It is inferred that this sika deer might be scared by cars and then entered urban areas unexpectedly while migrating to lower altitude regions for food, possibly driven by the population density pressure, along with the coldness in winter and the relative lack of food.

This incident not only shows the increase of people’s awareness for protecting wild animals, but also indicates the excellent action-taking and execution ability of Shennongjia’s police and conservation department. At the beginning of the new year, this heartwarming incident brings positive impact for protecting the ecological environment, and attracts more attention on the survival and conservation of wildlife from the public.

（Written by Wang Hong, He Sai, Wang Pin  Translated by Qin Mengran, Jin Yuxin)