Preliminary studies on the behavioral assessment of the domestication degree of captive alpine Musk deer

Musk deer (moschus spp.) are endangered due to high incidence of illegal hunting for musk and extensive habitat degradation. musk deer farming may be an important way to conserve musk deer populations and as a method for the sustainable utilization of musk deer resources,but no assessment has been conducted on the level of domestication and the domestication potential of this species. an understanding of the basic behavior patterns and of the process of adaptation to captive conditions,particularly over successive generations,is vital in developing appropriate captive husbandry techniques for musk deer. therefore,the objective of this study was to compare the behavioral patterns between wild-caught (wc) and captive-born (cb) musk deer to assess the degree of domestication of captive alpine musk deer. focal animal sampling was used to record the behaviors of wild-caught and captive-born adult alpine musk deer at the musk deer farm of xinglongshan national nature reserve,gansu province of china. the results showed no significant difference between wild-caught and captive-bom musk deer in terms of the behavior indicators,and hence,little evidence of behavioral domesticity in captive individuals. in this regard,intensive farming of musk deer must be considered an interim means of conservation,rather than a long-term plan for species protection and musk utilization. copyright 2011 zoological society of pakistan.