Infrared footage from the Saihan Wula Nature Reserve in Chifeng City of north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region has recently documented the vivid scenes of wild Manchurian wapiti, a protected species, bellowing and battling for territory and mates.

The Manchurian wapiti, or Cervus canadensis xanthopygus, a proposed subspecies of the wapiti native to East Asia that may be classified as its own species, Cervus xanthopygus, is currently under class-two state protection.

The video footage includes scenes of an adult male deer bellowing, as well as a dramatic confrontation between two males battling for territory and mates.

"The bellowing of deers peaks in September and October, primarily as males attempt to attract females," said Hong Meijing, head of the scientific monitoring section at the reserve.

To support conservation efforts, researchers have installed 59 infrared cameras in the reserve and use technologies such as GPS collars and DNA analysis to track the Manchurian wapiti population. These methods provide essential data on their behavior and population dynamics, forming a solid foundation for developing effective protection strategies.

According to the Chifeng Wild Plant and Animal Protection Association, the latest monitoring reveals that the Manchurian wapiti population across seven reserves in the region has grown to approximately 12,000.