Ding, nicknamed "Milu's Father" by his colleagues, has been supporting the return of the Milu to the wilderness with other experts. In 2003, a fawn was born in the wild at Dafeng. This was decisive for the "flagship species" of the wetland ecosystem to be removed from the red list of endangered animals by the World Conservation Union.

Today, more than 2,000 Milu live in the world. The best place to see the legendary deer is Nanhaizi, where a male fawn was born on April 11 this year as China's first artificially conceived Milu.

Guo Geng, vice-director of the Nanhaizi Milu Park, has devised a few ingenious methods with his colleagues to help visitors understand the importance of the Milu.

The park, which is a famous bird-watching spot in the capital, has ancient poems about the Milu carved on the benches to remind people that they should strive for harmony with nature.

(China Daily April 28, 2008)