I'm not an animal person and I could probably kill a plastic Easter Bunny but this much I know. 
Five years to buildup the herd size of an animal that has: 
a gestation period of 230 days, 
78% of the mothers give birth 
58% of the young don't survive past 50 days

Add to that the fact that this animal is a favorite of predators such as wolves and bears and have been domesticated by large white bearded elves.....well what was the government thinking?

Give it another 10 years.