Animal welfare in the musk deer

Abstract

The Himalayan musk deer ( Moschus chrysogaster) is a primitive ruminant living in the remote high Himalayas. The male deer possesses a musk gland specialized for the production of musk which is one of the most valuable scented animal products—it is more expensive than gold. The deer have been commercially exploited for centuries for their precious musk pod. The musk is used for perfumes all over the world and also for traditional medicine in oriental countries. The deer originally ranged throughout the Himalayas from Afghanistan to Pakistan, India, Nepal, Bhutan and Burma. At present they are found only in isolated areas due to heavy poaching and massive habitat destruction. This species is endangered and threatened with extinction. A procedure for musk extraction from live deer (without killing them) has been developed to help in the conservation of this species. In this regard, the extraction of musk was successfully conducted many times in the Kathmandu Zoo over a period of several years. Musk deer farms have been established in China, India and Nepal. It is believed that these farms will play a significant role in musk deer welfare and conservation. In addition, there is an urgent need to give this species total protection in national parks and wildlife reserves in order to preserve genetic diversity and maintain essential ecological processes and life support systems. In addition, there should be international control of the musk trade to aid in the survival of this species.