Yep. Hong Kong has a native deer.
- Colin Wu
- Jan 18, 2021
- 2 min read
Written by Colin Wu
A male barking deer at the Kadoorie Farm and Botanical Garden – Photo by Robert Ferguson
The barking deer or The Northern Red Muntjac (Muntiacus vaginalis) is the only native deer species found in Hong Kong; the northern edge of their habitat. They can also be found in parts of India and throughout Southeast Asia. Smaller than most deer species, they stand around 65 centimetres tall while stretching 1 metre long on average. They are reddish-brown and has stubby antlers. Why don’t we see or hear much about them then? Zoologist Patrica Marshal in 1967 quotes that due to urbanisation “the deer are reduced to small pockets in the New Territories and those on Hong Kong Island,” while being subjected to “illegal shooting and trapping”.
Nowadays, Hong Kong’s barking deer can still be found in the wild/country parks if you have a keen eye, sharp ear, and exceptional luck. A guaranteed site would be Kadoorie Farm and Botanical Garden which is home to Sasa and Didi, two female deers who were found abandoned as fawn (young deer) and nurtured back to health on the farm. There is currently no estimate for the number of barking deer locally.
Despite poaching being rare now, the barking deer has several ‘predators’. Urban encroachment has taken up much of the space where the deers can freely roam around. For example, a catchwater on Lantau Island between Tong Fuk and Shek Pik has been the main culprit for many deers who fall in and drown as they cannot get out. Pythons are also one of the deers natural predators*. As extremely shy and anxious creatures, they can also be literally frightened to death according to Kadoorie Farm**. So if you see or hear one, maybe it is best to leave it in peace.
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