Decline of musk deer in China and prospects for management

In spite of the prominence that conservation of biodiversity has achieved in the world (McNeely 1992), the rate of decline of species with high commercial value is still increasing. The limited arable land and human demand for materials have become major factors contributing to declines in biological resources (Ma et al. 1997). Musk deer have long been famous for the musk that only the male produces. Due to the limited supply of natural musk, musk has been a major item of international trade and the object of smuggling from this region over a long period of time (Sheng 1987, 1992; Liu 1996). The population of wild musk deer has suffered heavy pressure, and the species is on the brink of extinction.