What happened to the popular deer at Shanghai Jiao Tong University? Suspected animal attack leaves one dead and one injured.

More than a month after its opening, three “popular” deer at the Shanghai Jiao Tong University Ecological Forest Deer Park have reportedly been attacked by animals, resulting in one death and one injury.

On December 7, a netizen posted on social media claiming that one of the deer at the university had died. The post included a photo showing two deer standing while one lay on the ground. By the time of publication, the post was no longer visible. Later that day, another netizen shared that “one deer is forever gone today.” This user expressed surprise at the loss, stating, “I saw the three of them for the first time yesterday afternoon; they were really cute, and I didn’t expect that one would be gone today.”

Around 4 PM on December 7, a student from Shanghai Jiao Tong University told The Paper that they could only see one deer in the park, and there were not many students or citizens around to observe. Additionally, the reporter learned from a discussion thread on the university’s forum that on December 7, an account named “Logistics Support Center” replied, stating, “Last night, the deer were suspected to have been attacked by a wild animal, resulting in one unfortunate death and one injured deer that has been sent to an animal hospital for treatment. Let us all wish for its speedy recovery and ensure the safety of the deer.” This reply was also pinned to the top of the discussion.

However, He Xin, an associate researcher at the Natural History Research Center of the Shanghai Natural History Museum, indicated that it is also possible that the deer was killed by other animals, such as dogs, or died from sudden illness and was subsequently eaten by raccoons. He noted that there have been previous cases in Shanghai where deer were killed by dogs and then consumed by raccoons. “Raccoons are small canids and do not have very strong bite force, so it is somewhat difficult for them to kill a deer. However, if a deer is already dead and there is meat available, raccoons will come to eat it, as they are omnivorous and will eat meat if available, or fruits otherwise.” He also mentioned that with the drop in temperature during winter, the deer could potentially suffer from pneumonia and die suddenly, but this would require a pathological analysis after an autopsy to confirm.

The incident has caused some panic among students at Shanghai Jiao Tong University, as the raccoon is classified as a nationally protected wild animal. In August of this year, Shanghai forestry authorities reported that wild raccoons have been found in over 300 residential communities and urban green spaces in the city, as the urban ecological environment continues to improve. As a native wild animal, raccoons are naturally timid and do not actively harm humans, but their overlapping distribution with human habitats increases the likelihood of encounters. Citizens are advised to follow the “Four Nos” approach when dealing with wild animals: do not be afraid, do not feed, do not touch, and do not harm.

The three deer, consisting of one male and two females, were introduced to Shanghai Jiao Tong University at the end of October. Initially, they were highly anticipated and loved, becoming a sensation, but have now faced ongoing issues, including one death and one injury.

On October 31, Shanghai Jiao Tong University officially announced the arrival of the three adorable deer, which are currently six months old. On November 4, the ecological forest in the eastern campus where the deer reside was officially inaugurated, providing them with their own habitat. The university stated that leveraging the agricultural college’s academic strengths, it aims to create ecological diversity in the forest, enhance the ecological function of the campus landscape, and foster the growth of students alongside the deer. The deer, which prefer to live in groups and are accustomed to human interaction, enjoy eating corn, leaves, and tender grass. Subsequently, the deer became a “new sensation” at Shanghai Jiao Tong University, with many netizens sharing their interactions with them.

As the popularity of the deer increased, the university faced management challenges. On November 11, the deer park was temporarily closed, and visitors arriving that day could only observe from outside the fence. A notice hung on the fence stated, “The deer’s living environment needs maintenance, and it is expected to reopen in about a week; specific opening times will be announced later.” A staff member named Mr. Xia mentioned that during busy weekends, the number of visitors could reach seven to eight hundred, and children often chased the deer to feed them, which exhausted the animals and depleted the grass. As a result, students and visitors could only view the deer from behind the fence.