As one of the animal's three major protected areas in China, the Shishou reserve was established in 1991 with the first 64 milu deer introduced from Beijing two years later.

Close to the Yangtze River, the area has a complete wetland ecosystem and a vast pasture, an ideal habitat for the deer.

This year marks the 30th anniversary since their introduction and thanks to the past decades' efforts, the number of milu is about to reach the upper limit of the reserve's capacity.

In January, an additional extended area of the reserve, covering 8,000 mu (533.33 hectares), initially opened its doors to its first 400 milu.