Sika deer spotted in industrial park

The sika deer observes the crowd. — Zhou Yuyu

Tan Weiyun and Zhou Yuyu

A SIKA deer appeared unexpectedly in Zhongshan industrial Park recently. The park’s workers contacted the songjiang Forestry station and shanghai Zoo, and further measures were awaited.

When found, the deer was chewing grass on an unused land. The animal seemed frightened when it noticed humans com-ing over, and it immediately jumped into the water to escape.

But the deer got out of the water and climbed up the bank once it realized there was no danger. it then observed the crowd curiously with alarm.

The park worker, who first discovered the deer during his patrol, said it ap-peared from nowhere early in the morning around 6am. “it was walking aimlessly and foraging in the park,” he said.

The suburban district’s Forestry sta-tion said that the animal was a sika deer for sure, but it still remained a question where it came from. The station has contacted shanghai Zoo, whose officials would decide on further measures, includ-ing animal shelter.

Songjiang was nicknamed as “a town of deer” in ancient times because its fertile land and crisscrossed rivers made it an ideal place for deer to inhabit.