The Status of Nepal's Mammals: The National Red List Series - IUCN

Distribution outside Nepal
Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India.
Main Threats
• Hunting for subsistence.
• Habitat fragmentation with incompatible land use
changes.
• Human-wildlife conflict due to crop raiding and
resource competition with livestock.
• Increased livestock grazing in Serow habitat.
References
Prater 1971, Schaller 1977, Mahato 2004, Aryal 2008, Aryal 2009, Nepal Red List of Mammals National
Workshop 2010, Baral and Shah 2008.
24) Moschus fuscus (Li, 1981)
A recent taxonomic split makes ascertaining which
species of musk deer previous studies refer to
difficult, as musk deers were previously thought to
be all one species: Moschus chrysogaster.
Common Names
Black Musk Deer (English); Kalo Kasturi (Nepali)
Species Description
Brown and bristly coat.
Species Ecology
The Black Musk Deer is associated with temperate,
subalpine and alpine zones preferring birch,
rhododendron and coniferous forests. This is a
poorly known species, although all life-history
attributes are likely similar to those of the Alpine
Musk Deer (M. chrysogaster).
Conservation Status
Global: Endangered A2cd
National: Data Deficient
Rationale for assessment: There is insufficient
information available to make an accurate
assessment of the extinction risk of this species in
Nepal.
Legal Status
CITES Appendix I
Listed in the National Parks and Wildlife
Conservation Act 2029 (1973) as protected priority
species.
National Population Size
There is no information available on the population
size or status of this species in Nepal.
National Distribution
This species is reported from the eastern Himalayas,
in Makalu Barun and Sagarmatha National Parks and
Kanchanjunga Conservation Area. Due to taxonomic
confusion, an accurate description of the distribution
and population is not available.
Distribution outside Nepal
Bhutan, China, India, Myanmar.
Main Threats
• Poaching for trade in musk gland.
• Habitat encroachment.
• Disease transmission from livestock (potential).
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