Pere David Deer
Last Update 2014
This is an interesting “deer”, well at least they say it's a deer. I guess if a jackalope, camel and whitetail deer had a threesome this is what you'd get...or something like it.
The Pere David Deer is extinct in the wild. The Chinese nicknamed it “Sibuxiang” meaning “Four not alike”. Here are some of the entertaining descriptions of this animal:
“the hooves of a cow but not a cow, the neck of a camel but not a camel, antlers of a deer but not a deer, the tail of a donkey but not a donkey.
Or
“the neck of a camel, the hoofs of a cow, the tail of a donkey, the antlers of a deer.
In other words, it's one funky looking animal. Its antlers even look confused.
The deer is named after Father (or "Pere" in French) David who saw the remaining Chinese herd and became inspired to keep them from going extinct. It has a long neck like a camel, a tail like a donkey, antlers like a deer, and hooves like a cow. It has a reddish coat in the summer which turns grayer for the winter with a whitish underbelly and dark stripe going down its spine. They feed on grasses but prefer rushes and aquatic plants.
Body Length: 74 – 86 inches
Shoulder Height: 47 inches
Male Weight: 400 – 500 pounds
Female Weight: 300 – 355 pounds
Antlers: 25 – 36 inches long