The Tarim red deer

The Tarim red deer, Cervus hangul, is found in riparian regions of Central Asia, western China, and mountainous areas of northern India. The Bukhara deer is a subspecies of Tarim red deer. They live in sexually segregated herds except during the breeding season. The males are considerably larger than the females and grow a full rack of antlers which are used to compete for females during mating season, or rut. After the rut, the antlers are shed and will regrow in the following breeding season. Due to anthropogenic threats, the number of Bukhara deer decreased in the 1960s, becoming restricted  to a few nature reserves and locally extinct in many other areas of their former range. After several conservation actions, including reintroductions and  introduction into suitable habitats, the population increased to an estimated 3,735 – 3,900 in 2020 (including semi-wild animals in large enclosures). The Tarim red deer species as a whole is designated as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List due to the recovery of Bukhara deer, although this subspecies has not been separately evaluated.  However, the CMS have listed the Bukhara Deer in both Appendix I and II, covering species with a risk of extinction within parts of their range and with unfavourable conservation status to encourage global or regional conservation agreements. In CITES, the species is listed under Appendix II, where international trade of the species is controlled.

Like many other ungulates in Central Asia, competition with livestock for grazing grounds, together with the associated risk of disease transmission, is a significant threat to Bukhara deer. This is exacerbated by limited availability of suitable habitats and increasing wildlife interaction with humans and livestock. Habitat fragmentation, as well as barriers such as fences and roads, limit the movement of the deer posing a risk of inbreeding among disconnected deer populations and so lowering genetic variation.