Introduction

The sika deer (Cervus nippon) is an important member of the native fauna in eastern Asia, and it has been widely introduced into many other parts of the world. It has an interesting paleogeographic history, having reached the Japanese Islands and Taiwan during low sea level periods. It has a long history of close association with humans, both positive and negative, given that its preferred habitat is also prime agricultural and developmental land for humans. In this respect, sika deer are similar to secondary-successional deer species in North America and Europe. However, sika deer have the ability to cause damage to crops and forests, as well as to their own habitats, that far exceed those of comparable deer in other parts of the world. In different parts of their range sika deer are over-abundant, or extinct in the wild. They are commonly raised in captivity for their antlers. Consequently, they present an unusually wide array of evolutionary, ecological, and management issues.