Musk deer back in Kufri park after decades

Pratibha Chauhan

Tribune News Service

Shimla, September 30

The chance finding of a three-month-old male musk deer by a rapid response team of the Forest Department could bring back the past glory and fragrance of the musk deer at the Himalayan Nature Park, Kufri, where this highly endangered species once prospered in the late seventies.

The deer was rescued yesterday. Its arrival at the Kufri park, after almost four decades, could pave the way for the start of a musk deer breeding and conservation project. “It was in the late seventies that there was a sizeable number of musk deer housed at the Kufri nature park and now we will send a proposal to the Centre to seek permission for starting a breeding and conservation project here,” said Forest Minister Thakur Singh Bharmouri. He added that the rescue of the musk deer locally called Kasturi Mrig will also prove to be a major tourist attraction.

PL Chauhan, Chief Conservator, Wildlife (Shimla), said after seeking the necessary permission from the Central Zoo Authority (CZA), efforts would be made to get a female musk deer from some other park so as to start the breeding and conservation project. “The rescued fawn is a male, about three months old and is in good health. The animal will initially be kept in a quarantined enclosure under the supervision of veterinary officer,” he added.

Old timers reminisce that when there was a sizeable population of musk deer at Kufri, their musk used to be collected for medicinal purpose. “It has about 10-gm musk in the gland near the naval and half of it used to be removed surgically in those days,” they added.