Manchurian sika deer
Introduction The '''Manchurian sika deer''' or '''Dybowski's sika deer''' (''Cervus nippon mantchuricus'' or ''Cervus nippon dybowskii'' ) is a subspecies of deer, the largest of the 14 subspecies of sika deer. It was first described by Robert Swinhoe in 1864.
Geographic range The Manchurian sika deer was formerly found in Manchuria (northeastern China), Korea, and the Russian Far East. Today it is likely to be extinct in China and Korea, but about 9,000 individuals still live in the sparsely populated areas of Primorsky Krai in Russia. There are many captive breeding programs in Europe, for hunting and meat, including Poland.
Description Body length is , and the tail is up to  long. The height at the withers is . Females weigh up to  and bulls up to .
Reproduction Pregnancy lasts up to 221 days, and one young is born.
Etymology Both the subspecific name, ''dybowskii'', and the common name, Dybowski's sika deer, are in honor of Polish naturalist Benedykt Dybowski, who discovered this deer when he was exploring Siberia after completing his katorga term.
Bibliography * Apollonio, Marco; Andersen, Reidar; Putman, Rory. 2010. ''European Ungulates and Their Management in the 21st Century''. Cambridge, New York: Cambridge University Press. . p. 248.