Like many other animals, the natural enemy of the Formosan sika is man himself. Fortunately for the sika and its future, it is also an animal man is reluctant to do without.

Virtually every part of the animal can be used by man. Its hide is suitable for leather, and when small, its antlers can be used for Chinese herbal medicines. In addition, the sika's antlers, sinews, blood, entrails, and bone marrow are said to have various curative powers. In all, over twenty different medicines can be made from the sika. Sika meat is also a prized part of mountain cuisine.

Several hundred thousand years ago, when a land bridge connected Taiwan and mainland China, the Formosan sika migrated to Taiwan. Possible reasons for this move include a more hospitable terrain and climate, and a relative scarcity of carnivores such as lions and tigers. Here the animal enjoyed a peaceful and untroubled existence, cut short only when man arrived and discovered the sika and its economic value.

During the seventeenth century when the Dutch occupied Taiwan, they exported annually 100,000 sika pelts, according to the records of the Dutch East India Company. Such numbers indicate that sika herds of the time were extremely plentiful. The Dutch brought over several Chinese laborers from Kwangtung and Fukien to help them tan and process the hides. The migrants found the climate to be moderate and the land fertile, and many later decided to settle here, becoming some of Taiwan's first ethnic Chinese inhabitants.

"And because of this, the people in the 'inland' China finally noticed that Taiwan had abundant resources, which also brought them to drive out the Dutch. Later the island became a stronghold of anti-Ching resistance," says Chang Lung-sheng, deputy minister of the Interior Ministry's Construction and Planning Administration. He also notes, "If there were no Formosan sika, not only Taiwan's history but also Chinese history would be very different."

The Formosan sika is normally a peaceful animal, feeding on foxtails, clover, banyan tree leaves, and other plants, but it does have a competitive side. In September and October at Taipei's Yuanshan Zoo, visitors can watch males use their antlers to struggle for power within the herd. The bouts usually end when one side begins to get the better of the other and rarely produce bloodshed. The winner then takes on the next challenger, fending off all until he is recognized as leader of the herd. October is also mating season, and only one male can mate with the females, meaning that the leader enjoys all the spoils while the losers can only watch and wait until next year. The leader must submit to yearly challenges, and most lose their title after two or three years.

The gestation period for the sika is about eight months, and the fawns come in litters of one. The females are extremely protective of their young, defending them from all threats, real or imagined, from males and even zoo employees.

Prosaic in appearance, the Formosan sika has brown pelt speckled with white spots, making it known as "The Beauty of the Deer Family." Sikas found in Japan, North Korea and mainland China by contrast lose their spots, either temporarily, in winter, or permanently, in adulthood. The spots of the Formosan sika also appear in fixed pattern, with twelve on each flank, as well as on the sika's belly, limbs and buttocks.

Its economic value and preference for areas which are below 300 meters above sea level combine to make the Formosan sika an easy and tempting mark for hunters. In 1969, as a result, records show that no wild Formosan sika were sighted in Taiwan.

In recent years, people have taken notice of this situation and plans have been made to raise Formosan sika on Green Island and in Pingtung. Some are not satisfied with these measures, however, and advocate taking steps to let them roam free as they once did on Taiwan's western plain. Others point out that sikas in captivity will hardly resemble those in the wild, with their antlers plucked while still young and short and the animals themselves packed into areas far too small for them. Perhaps because of these criticisms, plans now exist for raising the Formosan sika in Kenting National Park, meaning that visitors will be able to see the animal as it lived one hundred years ago.

(Mark Halperin)