Plans to establish Golden Deer Camp at Mann Shwesettaw
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Hsu/ Pearl (NP News) - Mar 26
U Aye Ko, Chairman of the Mann Shwesettaw Pagoda Board of Trustee, told The NP News that plans are underway to establish a golden deer (Eld's Deer) camp at Mann Shwesettaw.
It is reported that over 60 endangered native Burmese golden deer are being kept for at the Mann Shwesettaw Golden Deer Sanctuary in Minbu (Saku) Township, Magway Region.
The sanctuary initially started with 5 male and 7 female golden deer, and now houses a total of 53 deer, including 18 males and 35 females. Additionally, 5 male and 4 female golden deer have recently been born.
"The total number of deer in the entire sanctuary can only be confirmed by the Forest Department. These deer are from the sanctuary, transferred by the Forest Department. As far as I know, the Forest Department handed them over from their custody within the sanctuary to allow for systematic breeding in a fenced area. We haven't officially reported the new births yet. Fresh and raw foods are healthier for the deer. We've had veterinarians examine them, but we don't know yet if they'll survive. We'll submit the official count around the end of this month," said U Aye Ko.
The golden deer are being cared for their food, water, watercress leaves, water hyacinth leaves, and other supplements. Tourists can visit the Shwesettaw Sanctuary to observe the Burmese golden deer.
"We feed the deer watercress leaves and water hyacinths. We have to buy the watercress leaves and gather the water hyacinths. We have a staff member dedicated to this. We spend about 2 million kyats per month on deer feed. The pagoda covers these monthly expenses. The Forest Department also contributes as much as they can," he continued.
Currently, there are plans to upgrade the golden deer area similar to an elephant camp, and discussions are being prepared with relevant ministries.
"We plan to allow free entry for visitors to feed the deer and take photos. We want to upgrade the area so that visitors can feed the deer and take memorable photos, similar to an elephant camp. We need to coordinate with the Forest Department to determine if feeding is allowed. We plan to proceed with this, but it's uncertain if it will be completed this year. We need to discuss with the Forest Department how to keep them in the enclosure and how visitors can feed them outside. Detailed discussions are still needed. Currently, visitors can enter and observe," U Aye Ko added.
The Shwesettaw Sanctuary is located in Minbu (Saku) Township, central Myanmar, covering an area of 213.4 square miles, and is known to have a large population of golden deer (Eld's Deer).