Musk deer distribution map in Kobang VDC of ACA

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Himalayan Musk deer ‘Moschus chrysogaster’ is a protected mammal of Nepal. It is listed in Appendix I by CITES and Vulnerable categories by IUCN. Locally disappearing of Himalayan Musk deer is still continued not only in Mustang district but also from other parts of Nepal.
The project was carried out in Kobang Village Development Committee's (VDC) area of Mustang district, Nepal. Field data were collected in August and September 2006. Population was counted through the silent drive method. Pellet groups survey was done in transect lines from six potential sites of VDC. PRA tools were used for collecting social data where as simple random sampling method was used for floristic survey.
Potential habitat for musk deer in Kobang VDC was found to be 48.04 sq. km. Musk deer were found in Tukuchhe, Marpha, Muktinath, Kobang, and Kagbeni VDCs; suspected in Jomsom, Kunjo and Lete VDCs, and disappeared from Ghami, Chhuksang and Dzong VDCs of the district. Twenty two musk deer were counted in six different sites of Kobang VDC. Population density of musk deer in Kobang VDC was 4.1 to 1.16 per sq. km (Mean 2.63, StDev-1.47 and SE- 0.60). Similarly, mean pellet groups density was 808 per sq. km (StDev-555, and SE-227). There was strong correlation between pellet density and population density (value of r2- 0.833 or 83.3%). The best fitted linear regression equation for predication of population density was

Population density/sq. km (Y) = 0.684 + 0.00241 Pellet density/sq. km(X).
Musk deer's preferable average altitude was 3658.87 m (338.38-SD and SE-60.13) and land was forest land. Maximum pellet groups were found in 30○ to 35○ angle of slope and gradually decreased in increasing slope. Pellet groups distribution was slightly increased up to moderate (50-75%) ground and crown cover then decreased in dense ground and crown cover. Betula utilis (IVI=95.14) was the most prominent tree species of Musk deer habitat followed by Abies sp. (IVI=65.46), Cupressus torulosa (IVI=34.44), Rhododendron compalatum (IVI=32.21), Juniperus sp. (IVI=30.7), Picea sp. (IVI=23.78) and Pinus wallichiana (IVI=18.27). Simpson's diversity index (D) value of Northern, North-West(NW) and Southern site of the study area were 0.81, 0.93 and 0.69 respectively.

Local price for one musk pod was Nrs 7000 ($100). Poacher/Trader used ghee (clarified butter) bottles to hide musk pod and supply it from local area to other places like Tibet, India and Kathmandu. .
Poachers used different techniques to kill Musk deer, which include snaring,trapping and shooting. In the past, hunters mostly used guns and dogs. But now a days, due to security condition of the country, shooting is replaces by snaring and trapping. At present, most adaptive methods for musk deer killing were snaring and trapping.

Within last 5 years, local committee was able to collect and destroy 672 snares from the potential habitat of musk deer.
Many respondents blamed that poaching, human activities/disturbance and livestock's interference in musk deer's habitat were major causes of population decline. Local people had positive perception towards the conservation of musk deer, still they are not able to conserve and poacher are successful in illegal hunting and snaring of musk deer. Local conservation committee should be empowered by power decentralization, financial support for alternative energy as well as income generation activities.

There is urgent need of conducting conservation awareness activities both for schools students and villagers. Musk deer participatory conservation plan must be prepared and implemented in coordination with local committee.
Multi factor regression equation should be prepared to predict population density considering others factors such as precipitation, temperatures, humidity, geographic, and vegetation etc.