Milu National nature preserve is located in Jiangsu province,China.A ride from the quite town of Dafeng took us to the beautiful area known for its Elk[Milu] Park.
We stayed with my friend Ju and her family.Her mom,taking into account my vegetarian food style, did not hesitate to prepare a tasty spread of dishes which included everything from soup to dessert!I was so touched by their hospitality.
We[a whole gang comprising of Ju and her hubby,her parents,4 of their family friend and the three of us] started from Dafeng in the morning and it was an hour drive to the park by car.When we reached there it was really hot.The parking area was filled with cars and buses and no wonder that it was the best season to visit this national reserve.
Once we found a parking space,we set off ,eager to see the elks.Elks here are called Milu,so I shall be referring to them as Milu in this post.
Well,before I take you around, a little history about this place.Dafeng Elk Nature Reserve is located in Dafeng City and is the world's largest wild breeding base for Milu deers. Milu deer is a rare species and this place boosts of a large population under its care.
Milu deer are also referred to as Pere David's deer.Father David, a French missionary and naturalist, observed and took efforts to bring in a large number of Elks from China to Europe to preserve them as they were on the brink of extinction due to excessive hunting, floods and political unrest .
Later they were returned to China and the Dafeng Milu National Nature Reserve was started to conserve these endangered animals.
By the way,if you are wondering what a Milu looks like,here is what this site refers to it as -
Milu, a Chinese nickname for "sibuxiang", translated as "four unlikes", was given to this deer species, because the animal has been described as having "the hoofs of a cow but not a cow, the head of a horse but not a horse, the antlers of a deer but not a deer, the body of a donkey but not a donkey." Several other sources claim to have different representations, for example: "the nose of a cow but not a cow, the antlers of a deer but not a deer, the body of a donkey but not a donkey, the tail of a horse but not a horse."
You can see that for yourself as we take the tour...Now let us start the trip....
The Entrance to the Reserve
Battery operated cars are available to hire and it takes you around the large reserve.The driver is opening the gates to the reserve
Rows and rows of trees providing the shade as we set forth on our quest to see the Milu
More trees and grassland ,still no sight of Milu
Looks like a windmill but its not...
At last we spotted the Milu chilling out in the lake
And a lot more grazing...
And a few lazing around....
We took our time to enjoy and click these Milu deers
A closer look at Milu
The exit...
There is a mini zoo with a few animals and birds around the reserve....
That was the first time I saw an ostrich at close quarters
Our monkey friends....
The area was lush and green with a lot of flowering plants, gardens and mini lotus/ lily pools...
Beautiful blossoms...
The path leading to the birds park...
Lovely lotus in the mini pond on the way...
Peacocks...
There were plenty of them around...
Trees with different colored foliage
After watching the birds and animals we came out.
The roads were deserted as the day was too hot..Probably the tourists were safe under the shades...
Souvenir and food stalls....
Milu deer viewing terrace.
At the entrance to the tower, there is a board that says elderly people, small children and sick people are not allowed to climb the tower due to its height.Binoculars are issued free of cost to catch a glimpse of the beautiful sights from the tower.You got to return them while climbing down.
While climbing the steep stairs the sights at each corridor were breath taking
The path we came through and the souvenir stand[rooftops on the left] can be seen
The Zig zag Pavillion...
The path to the park...
That's me,Ju and her hubby...
Can you spot the Milu deer at a distance?
The steps were sooo steep.MIL and Lil Angel were waiting for us downstairs...
After the captivating view from the tower, we walked to the hall that housed some rare sea animals. Actually they are models of sea animal and there were also some stuffed animal exhibits...
The souvenir shop inside the Rare animals exhibit hall..
A huge rock on the way out...
So we bade good bye to the Milu deers and all the other beautiful things around and got ready to go back home.We were really tired walking around yet it was a memorable trip for us...
Did you enjoy the trip to the Milu Reserve?
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