ITANAGAR, 12 May: Researchers have documented the first-ever camera-trap image of a musk deer (Moschus sp) from Yordi Rabe Supse (YRS) Wildlife Sanctuary in West Siang district, marking an important milestone for wildlife research and conservation in the eastern Himalayas, the Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) said.
The animal was photographed at an elevation of 3,032m in dense temperate conifer-broadleaf forest during camera-trap surveys conducted between July and November, 2024, the ZSI’s Itanagar regional centre said in a release.
Based on visible characteristics and habitat association, the animal is provisionally identified as the Himalayan musk deer (Moschus leucogaster), a species listed as endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and protected under Schedule I of India’s Wildlife Protection Act. Musk deer faces major threats across the Himalaya due to poaching, habitat degradation, and hunting pressure.
The discovery highlights the ecological importance of the sanctuary, whose remote and difficult terrain continues to preserve rich but understudied Himalayan biodiversity and offers tremendous potential for ecological and wildlife research.
The study was carried out through the collaborative efforts of the ZSI, the Wildlife Institute of India, and the Aalo Forest Division. Researchers acknowledged that conducting scientific surveys in such challenging terrain would not have been possible without the strong support, guidance, and encouragement of Divisional Forest Officer Gobin Padu and the field support provided by the Aalo Forest Division.
The researchers emphasised the need for continued long-term monitoring and conservation-focused studies to better understand and protect the unique wildlife of Arunachal’s high-altitude ecosystems.
