Fellow-up deer topic

Comparing with bears or wolves, it is easier to protect deer maybe they are not carnivores. Today I would like to discuss Formosan sambar, the largest native herbivore in my country. Before immigrants arrived, there were a lot of Formosan sambars, Formosan sika deer, and Formosan barking deer. This is why many places have deer-related names, such as Lugang (Deer Port) or Luye (Uncultivated wilderness for deer). With destruction of habits and commercial hunting, Formosan sambars retreated from plains to deep mountains. Today the only way to see them is to hike for several days to the alpine areas. Many research projects also target on this species. One of my friends is a wild life photographer, and his and his team even camped in the mountain for one year in order to research those endangered species. I never hear Muir deer’s sound (maybe they are too shy and quiet), but you can go to the site and listen to their sound. Male and female basically have the same sound. http://archive.zo.ntu.edu.tw/english/mamm_sound.asp?mamm_id=M0061

Due to the lack of predators, Formosan sambars’ population is slowly and stably increasing. It is a great achievement for conservation; however it is an alarm for some protected plants. Two years ago, I saw the leaves of Rhododendron pseudochrysanthum (RP) were disappeared when I went a big hike; therefore I asked my indigenous guide for explanation. “Formosan sambars eat all the leaves,” said the guide. He further explained that it was a sign of overgrazing. Formosan sambars will usually avoid eating the leaves of RP for the plant contains some toxins (but the sambars can suffer it). The sambars will not eat RP unless they have no other choices. The overgrazing problem has become a hot potato for the authority.

I wonder if there were any similar cases in the U.S. What would you do if you were the authority of conservation?