Sika deer to less than 1,000. Of the five subspecies in China, the North China sika deer ("C. n. mandarinus") is believed to be extinct in the wild since the 1930s; the Shanxi sika deer ("C. n. grassianus") has not been seen in the wild since the 1980s and is also believed to be extinct in the wild. The status of Manchurian sika deer in China is unclear, though it is believed to be extinct, as well, and the sightings there are actually feral populations. The South China sika deer ("C. n. kopschi") and Sichuan sika deer ("C. n. sichuanicus") are the
Sika deer suitable for farming and other human exploitation. Their range encompasses some of the most densely populated areas in the world, where forests were cleared hundreds of years ago. Their population status varies significantly in different countries. Although the species as a whole is thriving, it is endangered and extinct in many areas. Japan has by far the largest native sika population in the world. Though the exact population is uncertain, it is likely to be in the hundred thousand range and is still increasing, mainly due to recent conservation efforts and the extinction of its main predator, the wolf ("Canis