Shaya Red Deer

Shaya Red Deer

　　Shaya red deer is a specialty of Shaya County in the Aksu region of Xinjiang. Shaya County enjoys the reputation of being the "Hometown of China's Tarim Red Deer."

　　Shaya County is the primary habitat of the Tarim red deer, which are mainly found along both banks of the Tarim River at the northern edge of the Taklamakan Desert. The Tarim red deer have unique adaptability to the desert regions of the Tarim Basin — they are highly resistant to drought, intense heat, and strong winds. Through long-term natural selection, they have adapted to the high-salinity, mineral-rich waters of the Tarim River basin. These deer are fast runners, capable of enduring long treks, and have a broad diet. As early as 2,000 years ago, ancient Chinese people used deer tails as a precious tonic. Among these, the Tarim red deer tail is considered one of the finest. Furthermore, Shaya’s Tarim red deer antlers have won gold awards multiple times at the Guangzhou Trade Fair and the Urumqi International Economic and Trade Fair. The products are mainly exported to Southeast Asian countries such as South Korea, Japan, and Singapore.

　　To develop the Tarim red deer farming industry and promote industrialized management, Shaya County has introduced a series of preferential policies, established the Tarim Red Deer Association, registered the “Tarim” red deer and its product trademarks, applied artificial insemination techniques to improve the breed, and implemented foreign-funded projects. Thanks to these measures, the scale of deer farming in Shaya County has rapidly expanded. Currently, Shaya County is home to 32,000 Tarim red deer, including 9,000 raised domestically and 23,000 living in the wild. The county produces 2.5 tons of deer antler annually, contributing nearly 20 yuan to the annual per capita income of local farmers and herders. In 2006, under the leadership of the Deer Association, Shaya County introduced deer antler slicing technology and equipment, expanded the consumer market for antler products, and boosted sales, ushering in a new stage for the development of the local red deer industry.