Tibetan red deer are coveted for their velvety antlers, which are highly prized as an aphrodisiac.
The Tibetan sub-species of red deer (Cervus elaphus wallichi) thrives in the Lhoka Region of Tibet which is very complex in topography with dry valleys, tropical and subtropical vegetation, with many rare and endangered species.
Cervus elaphus wallichi, has long been listed as extinct by the World Conservation Union. A herd of 200 animals was discovered about 100 miles east of Lhasa (Tibet) on alpine meadows at an altitude of about 4,000 meters.