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The Chinese Water Deer.

The Water Deer (Hydropotes Inermis) is a member of the family of Moschidae ; they all have one thing in common, a lack of antlers. Found in China and Korea their native habitats of reeds and long grasses have enabled them to adapt well to some parts of Eastern England, which is low lying, particularly in the reed beds of Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire.

The most striking feature of this species is the long tusks of the bucks, which enable recognition of the male at a distance. In the adult buck the tusks protrudes some 7cm (3") below the gum and curve downwards and backwards. The back of the tusk has a sharp cutting edge and the efficiency of these as weapons is further enhanced by their mobility within the alveolus. Facial muscles enable the tusks to move backwards whilst the deer is feeding or hinged forwards for protection.

The most striking feature of this species is the long tusks of the bucks, which enable recognition of the male at a distance. In the adult buck the tusks protrudes some 7cm (3") below the gum and curve downwards and backwards. The back of the tusk has a sharp cutting edge and the efficiency of these as weapons is further enhanced by their mobility within the alveolus, that part of the jawbone which contains the roots of the teeth. Facial muscles enable the tusks to move backwards whilst the deer is feeding or hinged forwards for protection.

Stalking or hunting them in the wild requires great patience and effort, which is amply rewarded when one succeeds.