Habitat Pr Habitat Preference by Himala y Himalayan Musk Deer (Moschus an Musk Deer (Moschus leucogaster) in Shey Phoksundo National Park, Nepal

Abstract

Himalayan Musk Deer (Moschus leucogaster) is distributed across the mid-mountainous region from the elevation of 3000 m to 4000 m. Shey Phoskundo National Park lies in western Nepal and Shey Phoksundo Rural Municipality serves as the prime habitat in this region. The main objective of this study was to find out the habitat preference of Himalayan Musk Deer and to evaluate all the suitable habitats. Transects survey were done to evaluate the preferred attributes of the species. Pellets were rarely found where the crown cover was more than 75 % but the resting sites were abundantly found there and forest of Pinus wallichiana and Betula utilis were found to be used mostly. Deforestation of temperate mixed forests and illegal poaching of musk deer for musk pods should be clamped down for the conservation of this endangered species. Keywords: Deforestation, ecological behaviour, ivlev’s electivity index, Himalayan Musk Deer, Nepal.