In the East Dongting Lake Nature Reserve, milu deer, an endangered species native to China, have recently entered breeding season, leading to a "king of the deer" duel between two male stags vying for mating rights.
The reigning stag, identified by its antlers, is around six or seven years old. It has attached branches and weeds to its antlers, making itself appear even more imposing.
The challenger stag, one to two years younger, engaged in a fierce antler battle with the "king." The two stags charged at each other and clashed their antlers, trying to throw each other off-balance. With the challenger suffering severe injuries, the reigning stag managed to maintain its position as the victor.
Notably, the king stag wore a collar around its neck, which is a BeiDou Satellite positioning device, allowing researchers to track it more efficiently. According to experts, the collar indicates that this stag was introduced from a captive breeding population elsewhere. Its success in the competition demonstrates that the deer once in captivity have been nicely rewilded.
Milu deer, also known as Pere David's deer, is an endangered species under first-class protection in China. Due to climate changes and human hunting, the species was once domestically extinct in the Qing Dynasty. In 1985, China re-introduced milu deer from overseas and initiated conservation projects, promoting the rewilding of captive populations in nature reserves. By the end of 2024, the milu deer population reached over 14,000 individuals nationwide. The Dongting Lake population is the most successful in terms of rewilding, with hundreds of deer now living in the area.
Endangered milu deer fight for mating rights in Dongting Lake reserve
Thousands of demonstrators rallied in Italy and Greece on Saturday to protest against U.S. military intervention in Venezuela, with protesters in Rome, Milan and Athens condemning Washington's actions and calling for respect for Venezuelan sovereignty.
In Rome, more than 1,000 demonstrators marched toward the area near the U.S. Embassy, calling on Washington to immediately release Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife.
Police blocked roads around the embassy to prevent protesters from approaching the building, but demonstrators continued to denounce U.S. actions.
"First of all, we oppose U.S. imperialist aggression. This kind of behavior is shameful. The U.S. is attacking a sovereign country, and as [U.S. President Donald] Trump himself has said, this is for oil interests," said protester Giovanni Barbera.
Saturday's rally marked the second large-scale protest in Rome this month against U.S. military operations in Venezuela, following an earlier one on on Jan 3.
Participants included members of multiple political parties, labor unions and social organizations. The protesters held banners reading "Stop imperialist interference" and "Free Maduro," urging the international community to respect Venezuela's sovereignty and the will of its people, and condemning the U.S. for violating international law.
"We are protesting the way the U.S. handles international politics. Since the events of January 3, we have seen violations of international law, and we are very concerned about how the global situation is developing," said protester Stefano De Angelis.
Organizers said solidarity rallies in support of Venezuela were held in 30 Italian cities on the same day.
Meanwhile, similar protests were also staged in Greece. About 200 people gathered outside the U.S. Embassy in Athens, voicing support for Venezuela and opposition to U.S. military actions.
"We oppose U.S. imperialism and its attack on Venezuela. At the same time, the U.S. is also threatening Cuba, Mexico and Greenland. We must stand up against this behavior," said Greek protester Argiro Sirmakezi.
Protesters rally in Italy, Greece against U.S. military operation in Venezuela
