The Extinction Club

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From Robert Twigger, the acclaimed author of Angry White Pyjamas and Big Snake, comes a brilliant and complex tale centered on the Milu, an exotic deer species with unique features. For a millennium, the Milu thrived solely in the Chinese emperor's private park in Beijing. In the late 19th century, Basque missionary Pére David became the first Westerner to encounter this peculiar creature. Captivated, he risked his life to secure a specimen, which he embalmed and sent to Paris in a diplomatic bag. The preserved remains sparked excitement across Europe, leading to a demand for live animals. However, most Milu failed to adapt to their new environments and quickly perished, while conflicts like the Boxer Rebellion led to their extinction in China. Remarkably, a herd survived in Bedfordshire, England, thanks to the dedication of the 11th Duke of Bedford at Woburn Abbey. This effort bore fruit in 1986 when part of the British herd was returned to China. Today, the Milu is hunted in exclusive game reserves worldwide, particularly in Texas. Twigger's engaging narrative explores themes of nature, civilization, and human obsessions, including evolution, truth, extinction, myth-making, and survival.