Musk Deer Video

Musk deer are small members of the deer family with a head-to-body length of 86-100 cm and a weight of 13-18 kg. They are solitary animals and are especially active at night-time. They are recognisable by their distinctive jumping movement - more like the steps of a kangaroo than a deer. Musk deer do not have antlers. Rather they have elongated upper canine teeth, which in males can be up to 10cm long and protrude beneath the upper lip.

Musk deer occur in at least 13 countries in Asia including the Russian Far East. The Siberian musk deer (Moschus moschiferus) lives in China, Mongolia, North and South Korea, Russia, Kazakhstan and possibly Kyrgystan. The Forest musk deer (M. berezovskii) occurs in China and Vietnam. The Alpine and Himalayan musk deer (M. chrysogaster subspecies) are found in the western region of the Himalayas, from Afghanistan and Pakistan to China, India and Nepal. The Black musk deer (M. fuscus) lives in the eastern Himalayas in Bhutan, China, India, Myanmar and Nepal.

The timidity of musk deer, combined with their remote habitats, means that there are very few accurate population estimates. However, due to the large illegal trade, musk deer populations are believed to be declining across much of their range. Scientists believe that the total global population is likely to be between 400,000 and 800,000.

The largest numbers of musk deer are found in China, Russia and Mongolia. In China, most experts believe there are approximately 100,000 animals. In Russia, the population status is very uncertain, and varies according to province. Some independent experts say that there are around 70,000 while the Russian government estimates about 150,000 animals. No recent data is available from Mongolia.