Alpine Musk Deer

Alpine Musk Deer : A recent report by the Central Zoo Authority revealed a critical misidentification. Breeding programmes meant for the Alpine musk deer were mistakenly applied to the Himalayan musk deer.

• About Alpine Musk Deer (Moschus chrysogaster): It is not a true deer; it belongs to a distinct family more closely related to Bovidae, which includes antelopes, sheep, goats, and bovines.

  o Behaviour: Solitary and crepuscular (active during dawn and dusk).

  o Musk sac: Males possess a visible musk gland between the testes; develop fangs during mating season for sparring.

  o Habitat: Lives in coniferous and deciduous mountain forests at elevations between 3,000–5,000 metres. Found across India, Nepal, Bhutan, and China.

  o Diet: A ruminant herbivore, primarily a browser, feeding on forbs, grasses, lichens, moss, and shrub leaves/twigs.

  o Major Threat: Poaching for musk, widely used in cosmetics and perfumes, poses the greatest threat to the species.

  • Conservation Status: IUCN Red List: Endangered

  o CITES: Appendix I

  o Wildlife Protection Act (India), 1972: Schedule I