Seven years ago, a young engineer took stock of the quality of his life and decided he wanted to escape from his stressful job and the fast-paced modern life in technologically advanced cities.
This led him to resign from his job and take up his father’s business of raising Formosan sambar, and he unexpectedly discovered a whole new kind of life as well as an interesting hobby.
Chang Chia-hao (張家豪), 35, said his previous job at a renowned electronics company, where he had worked for three years, was extremely stressful, as the job required him to be on call at all times, meaning that he could never relax and have quality time with his friends or family.
Photo: Lin Meng-ting, Taipei Times
“Even after leaving the company’s premises at the end of the work day we had to keep our cellphones with us and switched on, so we could be contacted at any time to return to work,” Chang said, adding that he had become fed-up with a life of toil and having no time for himself.
Chang decided to quit his job to pursue a life where he could be in control. He returned to his hometown as he wanted to learn how to take care of the deer his father had raised for the past four decades and to prevent his family’s deer farm from being sold.
When asked how he feels using the same hands that used to dance across computer keyboards to feed deer, Chang said that while neither job is easy, caring for his family’s deer has given him a new understanding of life.
Photo: Lin Meng-ting, Taipei Times
“Every morning we have to check the deer’s condition and give them fresh food and water,” he said.
He added that because he is breeding and raising deer, his job does not stop at feeding the animals, but includes the correct preparation of their food.
“The job is physically taxing and there is always something that needs doing,” Chang said, adding that in the end all his different daily activities boil down to concentrating on caring for his deer.
“The deer can recognize their owners and usually stare at a person whom they are familiar with,” Chang said.
He added that his job is hard, but being looked at so warmly by his deer with their docile eyes is all the thanks and inspiration a person needs to carry on.
Aside from just raising deer, Chang said his family also spends time doing research on how to be better farmers, and improve their techniques and productivity.
Pointing to sambar bucks he started to care for recently, Chang said that their velvet antlers are seeing better growth than ever.
One particular buck had grown a rack weighing 11kg several years ago, but this year produced velvet antlers weighing almost 20kg, he said.
“It is very satisfactory, just like raising your own children,” Chang said, adding that the better the deer under their care perform, the happier he is.
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