外形漂亮，行动敏捷，行事聪慧，这是很多人对于梅花鹿的印象。只不过，它有两个让人想不到：

Elegant, agile and intelligent, this is what many people think of sika deer. There are two surprising facts about them.

一是它的“户籍”时间短，至今还不到50年。1964年，四川省中药研究所意外在若尔盖大草原的东部边缘铁布腊子沟获得5具野生梅花鹿标本。经专家研究，确认为梅花鹿亚种。因发现地为四川，所以命名为四川梅花鹿。

For one thing, it has been "domiciled" for only a short period of time, less than 50 years.In 1964, the Sichuan Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine accidentally obtained 5 specimens of wild sika deer in Tiebulazigou, the eastern edge of Ruoergai Grassland, while investigating the medicinal animal resources in northwest Sichuan.They were then confirmed by experts as a subspecies of sika deer and therefore named after the place where they were found.

另一个想不到，则是它拥有高超的生存智慧。四川梅花鹿可以称得上“耳聪目明腿快”，拥有极为发达的听觉视觉和强悍的高原奔跑能力。

Another surprise must be their superb survival wisdom. The Sichuan sika deer can be described as quick-witted and whip-smart, with extremely well-developed hearing and vision ability, and can run fast out on the wild plateau.

其次，四川梅花鹿会“易容术”。夏天，就会长出栗红色的毛发，身上梅花状斑点极为明显;冬季，毛发就变成了和枯草相近的褐色。而这时候，它身上的白斑也大大退化，堪称“伪装者”。

What’s more, the Sichuan sika deer is also a disguiser that can change its appearance. In summer, it grows chestnut-red fur with plum-blossom-like spots.In winter, the fur turns to brownish similar to withered grass and the white spots degraded at the same time.

如今，四川梅花鹿已经是国家一级重点保护野生动物，被《世界自然保护联盟》在2008年濒危物种红色名录。

The Sichuan sika deer has been the national first-class protected animal today, and listed by the IUCN in the 2008 upon the Red List of Threatened Species.