The Kashmir musk deer (''Moschus cupreus'') is an endangered species of

musk deer Musk deer can refer to any one, or all eight, of the species that make up ''Moschus'', the only extant genus of the family (biology), family Moschidae. Despite being commonly called deer, they are not true deer belonging to the family Cervidae, b ...

native to

Afghanistan Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. It is bordered by Pakistan to the Durand Line, east and south, Iran to the Afghanistan–Iran borde ...

India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...

Nepal Nepal, officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked country in South Asia. It is mainly situated in the Himalayas, but also includes parts of the Indo-Gangetic Plain. It borders the Tibet Autonomous Region of China Ch ...

and

Pakistan Pakistan, officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of over 241.5 million, having the Islam by country# ...

. It was originally described as a subspecies to the alpine musk deer, but is now classified as a separate species. It stands at tall, and only males have tusks which they use during mating season to compete for females. In summer, it inhabits remote alpine scrub on scattered rock outcrops and in upper fringes of closed coniferous forests at an elevation of using invariably use steep slopes (≥ 20°). It is endangered due to

habitat loss Habitat destruction (also termed habitat loss or habitat reduction) occurs when a natural habitat is no longer able to support its native species. The organisms once living there have either moved elsewhere, or are dead, leading to a decrease ...

and also because of poachers hunting the animal for its prized scent glands. In Afghanistan, no musk deer sighting had been scientifically reported from 1948 until 2009. In June 2009, three individuals were detected in the

Nuristan Province Nuristan, also spelled as Nurestan or Nooristan (Pashto: ; Katë: ), is one of the 34 provinces of Afghanistan, located in the eastern part of the country. It is divided into seven districts and is Afghanistan's least populous province, with a ...

, showing that it still persists in the country despite unregulated hunting, extensive

deforestation Deforestation or forest clearance is the removal and destruction of a forest or stand of trees from land that is then converted to non-forest use. Deforestation can involve conversion of forest land to farms, ranches, or urban use. Ab ...

, habitat degradation, and the absence of the rule of law. Suitable habitat for the Kashmir musk deer in Afghanistan of about in the contiguous Nuristan, Kunar and

Laghman Province Laghman (Persian language, Persian/Pashto: ) is one of the 34 provinces of Afghanistan, located in the eastern part of the country. It has a population of about 502,148, which is multi-ethnic and mostly a rural society. Laghman hosts a large numbe ...

s is highly fragmented. Since the Kashmir musk deer is a habitat specialist, it is more susceptible to habitat loss at higher elevations and in an ecosystem with specific resources and vegetation. Other than poaching, human activity also impacts the Kashmir musk deer population because livestock grazing, urban expansion, and the collection of wood damage the montane habitat.

References

Notes

{{Taxonbar, from=Q2326479 Kashmir musk deer Fauna of Jammu and Kashmir Mammals of Afghanistan Mammals of India Mammals of Nepal Mammals of Pakistan Kashmir musk deer