(CRI2008-06-20 12:22:25) A famous deer farm in southern China's Hainan province has been forced to sell some of its deer to afford daily maintenance costs.

The surging costs of raising deer and dwindling interest from visitors has posed severe challenges to the Fenglin Deer Farm, local newspaper Hainan-Tequ-Bao reported.

Established in 1963, the deer farm - south China's largest - is located in Haiyu Midline (national highway 224). Spanning 27 hectares, the setting at the farm is ideal for breeding deer.

At its peak, more than 2,000 visitors would come to see the 2,000 deer in the farm daily. However, with fewer deer and fewer visitors, the condition of the farm has deteriorated.

An employee at the farm said tourist groups would visit almost everyday in the 1980s and 90s. Boasting several species of deer, deer products and live entertainment shows, the annual revenues at the farm once reached 8 million yuan or more than 1 million US dollars.

A saleswoman at the farm's tourist shop said at times, there was more than enough work for 10 salespeople. These days, however, there are only two salesmen who don't have much to do. Also, they earn only between 200 and 300 yuan or 30 to 40 US dollars a month.

Feeding the deer cost 1,000 yuan or 150 US dollars a day. Left with no other choice, the farm was forced to sell some deer to keep the farm afloat and pay its employees.

The farm ceased to receive financial support from the provincial forestry department since 2000. After a new highway opened in the region, fewer travel agencies included Haiyu Midline in their tour packages. These factors combined to dent visitor numbers and profits of the deer farm.

Chen Xianshu, the director of the Fenglin Deer Farm, hopes he will receive assistance from the government and corporate sectors to revive the farm and take it back to its glory days.
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