As in the frozen north the valdivian forests of chile support very few animals, but that is the end of the
similarity.
This is a bizarre world of miniature creatures.
The pudu, the world's smallest deer feeds on the giant leaves of the gunnera plant.
The female is just 30 centimeters high at the shoulder, and her infants are hardly bigger than kittens.
The male must stay alert.
There are hunters here who would snatch his young.

At Dafeng(大豊), a small salt marsh reserve is home to an animal which is lucky to be alive.
The Chinese see these milu(麋鹿) as a curious composite animal, with a horse's head, cows feet, a tail like a donkey, and backward-facing antlers.
In the West we know it as père David's deer after the first European to describe it.
During the rut, stags decorate themselves with garlands of vegetation collected in their antlers.
Fierce battles decide mating rights.
The females still have last year's fawns in tow.
They haven't been weaned by the time of the rut, and band together in large crèches, only returning to their mothers to feed.
This unique behavior helps to keep them clear of the aggressive males.
Today there are just 2500 milu in China, but it is remarkable that there are any at all.
In the early 1900's, milu became extinct in the wild, but luckily some of the Imperial herd had been sent as a gift to Europe.
Those at Woburn Abbey in England prospered and in the early 1980s, 40 of the deer were returned to their homeland where they continued to thrive.

Bandhavgarh, India at the height of the dry season.
A chital deer, they must live their lives with all their senses at a high pitch.
The faintest smell, the slightest sound, the briefest glimpse, could give warning of an attack
The chitale must detect their enemy before it takes them by surprise, and they have allies.
Langur monkeys.
Keen eyesight and perch high in the trees means they can scan the forest.
The jungle is full of distraction.
Senses are strained trying to detect approaching danger.
Yet the chital still need a food... and the hunter must get within striking distance.
There's a hint of danger carried on the wind.
The herd shares our nervousness.
You should never run from what you can't see.
You might just run straight into danger.
The tiger is nearly close enough to launch her attack.
She must wait.
The chital need to come just a little closer.
If she moves now, the langurs will see her.
The deer had a moment's head start and escaped the langur's vigilance saved the chital.
And the tiger goes hungry.

Throughout the spring and summer, something peculiar will happen to the males or bulls of the moose family.
Almost like an alien life-form, little buds start poking out of their skulls.
These are their antlers they will grow as fast as three inches a week, some of the quickest growing body tissue in all mammals.
A layer of fuzzy skin helps their racks grow to enormous sizes.
It feels kind of like velvet and is very delicate and sensitive, packed with loads of nerves and blood vessels.
It may discourage bulls from fighting until their antlers are fully grown and hardened.
A moose's antlers are the largest of any mammal in the world.
When the antlers have finished growing, the velvet needs to come off.
Just in time for the mating season.
The bulls rub their antlers against trees and rocks to get the velvet off.
The sharp points of the antlers emerge first, a glimpse of what's to come.
As the mating season approaches, velvet rubbing becomes a full-time job.
Despite the chilly misty mornings of early fall, things in moose land are just heating up.
A bull looking for a mate shows off his remarkable antler rack.
He rattles them against the vegetation to impress both the cows and other bulls alike.
Females start to gather, intrigued by the display.
The male has the cows full attention.
An especially impressive beast can be quite a draw.
Sparking a competition among the females.
Unlike other members of the deer family, it's not just the males who will battle it out for their chosen suitor.
Spats among the females can get downright ugly.
This male having proved his irresistibility to so many females becomes choosy himself, maybe even a bit cocky.
He chases off the less desirable female, much to her dismay.
At 1500 pounds, 7 feet high at the shoulder, with a 6 foot antler rack, this is one of the baddest bulls on the range.
It's no wonder the cows find him attractive.
But there's trouble on the horizon, a younger and equally impressive bull.
The challenger approaches, waving his great antlers from side to side.
The master responds
A little intimidation usually goes a long way, and the Challenger will often back down without a fight.
But not this time.
The male stare each other down like prize fighters, circling and eyeing for an opening.
Neither backs down.
Finally they clash.
With equally matched bulls, the battle may last up to a half an hour or more.
But the older bowl soon gains the upper hand.
He batters the challenger without mercy.
And the contest abruptly comes to an end.
The champion returns to the females.
The contender has paid a price for his boldness, a wounded leg.
In this unforgiving place, a wounded leg is not welcome news.