Musk deer, a national first-class protected animal, appeared in Hubei
When staff of Hubei Duheyuan National Nature Reserve (Zhushan County) in Hubei Province, China sorted out the infrared camera monitoring data for the first quarter of 2024, they found an animal similar to a small muntjac. After identification, the animal was identified as a national first-class protected animal, the forest musk deer. It was also the first image of the forest musk deer since the establishment of the reserve.
According to reports, the animal lives in the forest at an altitude of nearly 1,800 meters. Its hind legs are longer than its forelimbs, its shoulders are lower than its hips, and there are two obvious white stripes on its throat, parallel to the chest. Its ears are large and pointed. It jumps happily in the forest and finally disappears in the sea of forests.
The forest musk deer, also known as musk deer and fragrant musk deer, is a small ungulate animal. It is a first-class protected wild animal in China. It is listed as an endangered (EN) species in the "Red List of Endangered Species of the World Conservation Union" and a critically endangered (CR) species in the "Red List of Biodiversity in China". Musk deer have a wide range of distribution altitudes, from lowland hills to alpine coniferous forests and shrubland at an altitude of 3,800 meters. They usually live alone or in pairs and are shy, alert and sensitive.