The "safety island," an elevated flood-refuge platform along milu deer's migration routes built by nature reserves of East and South Dongting Lake in Yueyang County, central China's Hunan Province, has provided a secure shelter for the animal to safely navigate during the flood season.
Standing higher than the surrounding wetlands, the island ensures that when floods arrive, milu deer do not have to swim long distances across the lake to find dry land. Instead, they can quickly move to nearby higher ground to reduce the risk of drowning, particularly for young fawns.
The island also helps prevent milu deer from straying into nearby towns and villages situated on higher terrain, where they could damage crops and trigger human-wildlife conflict.
Covering 12 hectares, the safety island features a double-rectangle layout with two ponds at its center. Around these ponds, reserve staff have planted ryegrass, reeds and other aquatic vegetation favored by milu deer. There are also taller plants that can provide shade for milu deer during summer.
To prevent milu deer from depleting food supplies before floodwaters recede, reserve staff conduct regular feeding operations. Staff from Yueyang County forestry, fisheries and reserve departments regularly visit the island to deliver food for the deer.
According to the staff, once the deer arrive, workers will make daily food deliveries after using drones to identify areas with the lower concentrations of deer on the island. Without disturbing the animals, they will quietly transport supplies. They said one ton of food will be delivered each time.
In 2024, shortly after the safety island was completed and vegetation had just begun to grow, Dongting Lake exceeded warning levels and flooded the deer's habitat. More than 180 milu deer swam to the island seeking refuge, stayed for half a month and quickly consumed all available vegetation.
Staff workers made daily feeding visits during this period. All milu deer on the island safely weathered the floodwaters, returning to their natural habitats as surrounding water levels receded.
Six such safety islands have been built across the Dongting Lake wetlands, which have created secure habitats for milu deer and other wildlife during flood periods.
'Safety island' provides flood refuge for milu deer at China's Dongting Lake
