Probable extirpation of the hog deer from China: implications for conservation

Zhigang Jiang,Jie Liu,Chenchen Ding,Chunwang Li

doi:10.1017/s0030605321000016

Abstract

AbstractThe hog deer Axis porcinus formerly occurred in south-west China but has not been recorded there since 1965. To investigate the current status of the species in China, we conducted interviews, and transect and camera-trap surveys during October 2018–June 2020 to search for signs of hog deer across its historical range in the country. We interviewed 50 local inhabitants and surveyed 14 line transects in four counties of Lincang City, Yunnan Province. The camera traps were deployed in Nangunhe Nature Reserve (39.4 km of transects, 82 camera stations, 15,120 camera days) and Daxueshan Nature Reserve (41.1 km of transects, 68 camera stations, 13,554 camera days). We found no hog deer tracks and no hog deer were trapped by cameras. The floodplain grasslands preferred by hog deer along Nanting River have been transformed into agriculture plantations and human settlements. Our findings suggest that hog deer may have been extirpated from China, most likely as a result of habitat loss and overhunting. The conservation priorities for this species in China are the establishment of a protected area in the Nanting River watershed, restoration of habitat and reintroduction of individuals from range countries.

Highlights

The hog deer Axis porcinus formerly occurred from Pakistan and northern India eastwards through Nepal and Bhutan to Myanmar, Thailand, Lao PDR, Cambodia and Viet Nam (Timmins et al, ), and was marginally distributed in Yunnan, China
Since, the hog deer has not been recorded, and it was presumed to have been extirpated (Smith & Xie, ), interviews and field surveys indicated that a small population may survive in Daxueshan and Nangunhe Nature Reserves (Pan et al, ; Tang et al, )
We firstly reviewed available literature to confirm the historical range of the hog deer, and examined a high-resolution topographic map of potential hog deer habitat, including Nangunhe and Daxueshan Nature Reserves, which are the most likely sites of any surviving hog deer in China (Pan et al, ; Tang et al, )

Summary

Introduction

The hog deer Axis porcinus formerly occurred from Pakistan and northern India eastwards through Nepal and Bhutan to Myanmar, Thailand, Lao PDR, Cambodia and Viet Nam (Timmins et al, ), and was marginally distributed in Yunnan, China. The number of hog deer populations in South-east Asia declined by . In China, the hog deer was formerly recorded in Gengma and Cangyuan Counties, in the Nanting River watershed, south-west Yunnan, bordering Myanmar (Yang & Ma, ; Wang et al, ). Since , the hog deer has not been recorded, and it was presumed to have been extirpated (Smith & Xie, ), interviews and field surveys indicated that a small population may survive in Daxueshan and Nangunhe Nature Reserves (Pan et al, ; Tang et al, ). In a fawn initially identified as a hog deer was rescued by forest rangers in Daxueshan Nature Reserve, but it was later confirmed to be a calf of sambar Rusa unicolor (Timmins et al, , )

Methods

Results

Conclusion