High-tech tools keep track of rare milu deer

Ge said the next step is to integrate environmental data and deer behavior data for research, such as seeing if their reproduction rate is higher when water quality is better; whether their migration routes change after extreme rainfall; and whether there is a relationship between soil fertility, vegetation growth and their range of activity.

"Through such analysis, we can better understand more complex ecological patterns, and future conservation work will become even more targeted," he said.

Ge added that the deer population has grown significantly over the past two years, saying it is closely related to the ability to monitor their living environment in real time and eliminate threats promptly.

The intelligent platform has also led to a reduction in management costs, cutting unnecessary inputs and "allowing us to allocate more resources to ecological restoration and species protection", said Yang Tao, who is in charge of the informatization project at the reserve.

In the future, more advanced monitoring equipment will be added, said Yang, such as high-definition night-vision cameras, long-endurance drones, underwater sensors and micro-sensors capable of monitoring air quality.

He added that they will also introduce more artificial intelligence models, such as those that can detect potential health risks in advance by monitoring changes in deer behavior and physical appearance.

For ranger Wang, he believes that human experience and instinct will still play an important role at the reserve. A human can tell from details cameras cannot capture, such as footprints and feces, the health condition of a deer, whether it is injured or in heat during mating season.

"For emergencies such as a deer getting trapped in mud, the system may not recognize it precisely, but we know which areas are more risky and can take preventive measures," he said.

Contact the writers at chenmeiling@chinadaily.com.cn