The distribution, status and conservation of the Himalayan musk deer Moschus chrysogaster

The present and past distributions of the Himalayan musk deer south of the Himalayan divide are compared. The overall range has changed little during the 20th century but severe pressures, caused by over-exploitation of the species for its musk and habitat destruction, have reduced the population to scattered pockets throughout its former distribution.

The maximum area of habitat potentially available to musk deer on the south side of the Himalaya is estimated to be in the region of 50 000 km ². This amount of habitat may be capable of supporting about 200 000 musk deer but more likely it harbours only about 30 000 animals, assuming that the overall density of the Himalayan population is much the same as that of the Russian population (i.e. 0·6 animals km ^-2) which has experienced similar hunting pressures. An evaluation of the current international trade in musk indicates that the Himalayan population could reach a critically low level if present hunting pressures continue unabated. It is provisionally estimated that at least 4000 adult males are killed each year. This could mean that from 18% to 53% of the Himalayan population is harvested annually, depending on the extent to which hunting methods are indiscriminate of the age and sex of animals.

Measures to conserve the species are outlined within the framework of sustainable use of living resources for development. Particular emphasis is given to the possibility of harvesting musk from wild animals for the benefit of local people living at subsistence level in remote high-altitude regions of the Himalaya.