HAIKOU, June 22 (Xinhua) -- Once on the verge of extinction, the Eld's deer, a sub-species of swamp deer, today roams in large herds across the hills of the southwestern coast of south China's island province of Hainan.

    Known by the locals as "slope deer," the species was named after Lieutenant Percy Eld, who served in the British colonial administration of India. Eld first brought the deer to Western scientific attention in 1838.

    Experts say Eld's deer were living on Hainan four million years ago, long before any human activity on the island. They numbered just 26 by 1976 as a result of increased human activity and environmental degradation.

    The government identified Eld's deer for top protection in 1988. It has been listed as one of the world's most endangered species by the World Conservation Union or IUCN.

    A comprehensive protection program introduced 30 years ago, with a budget of 10 million yuan (1.23 million U.S. dollars), stopped the decline and put the species back on to a healthy cycle of propagation.

    Protection efforts include nature reserve construction, the cultivation of breeding stock in the wild, and educating locals about the importance of protecting Eld's deer.

    Datian State-Level Nature Reserve for Eld's Deer, for instance, has signed letters of responsibility over common management with residents living in the villages adjacent to the nature reserve.

    Residents have so far sent more than 30 injured Eld's deer to the nature reserve for medical care and treatment.

    Li Shanyuan, director of the administration for the Datian State-Level Nature Reserve for Eld's Deer, said protection of the species could only succeed with the support of residents.

    Yuan Xicai, a specialist in animal research, especially in Eld's deer, believes building a breeding stock in the wild is essential to rescuing the species.

    A total of 594 Eld's deer have been removed from Datian Nature Reserve since 1990, of which 484 have been released into the wild, evolving into four major herds. The rest have stayed in captivity or semi-captivity.

    The number released into the wild stands at 504. The natural habitat area, including Datian nature reserve, has increased from 1,314 hectares in 1976 to 20,000 hectares.

    In May, the population of Eld deer in Hainan stood at 1,600.

    Chinese conservationists hope that improvements to the deer's natural habitat will allow the species to continue to propagate healthily, reaching 3,000 by 2010. Enditem