\tFanged Deer Spotted in Afghanistan for the First Time in 60 Years Those wicked-looking fangs aren't for drinking blood. This musk deer resides in a Czech zoo. Talk about a Halloween announcement. The Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) announced last Friday that Kashmir musk deer, which are known for their strange, vampire-like fangs, have been spotted for the first time in 60 years in the remote forests of northeast Afghanistan. Musk deer were last sighted in the region by a Danish survey team in 1948. “Musk deer are one of Afghanistan's living treasures,†said Peter Zahler, WCS Deputy Director of Asia Programs. “This rare species, along with better known wildlife such as snow leopards, are the natural heritage of this struggling nation. We hope that conditions will stabilize soon to allow WCS and local partners to better evaluate conservation needs of this species.†Recent surveys in Afghanistan found that a small population of the deer still persist there. The Kashmir musk deer is one of seven similiar species found in Asia, a primitive cousin to “true†deer like whitetails. These tiny deer weigh only a couple dozen pounds, can grow up to 28 inches tall at the shoulder, and are adapted more for climbing than for running. Males do not grow antlers and instead use their sharp, knife-like tusks to fight over mates. Habitat loss and poaching are the primary dangers to the musk deer's future, and its distinctive smell-from which it derives its name-has put it at risk as well. For a poacher, a musk deer's scent gland is more precious than gold. Believed by some to be a powerful aphrodisiac, these organs can fetch up to $45,000 per kilogram on the black market. Thankfully, the musk deer is difficult to spot even for trained researchers. A survey team operating in the rocky regions of the Nuristan Province were able to confirm at least one musk deer male and two females with young. Wildlife researchers are continuing to keep tabs on the species, but the deteriorating security situation in the province is making it hard to enter the region.
Hopefully fuckers dont try and hunt them. Maybe throw them in a sanctuary type environment so people can enjoy seeing a live fanged deer.
Agreed... And all thanks to false ideologies on sex drive, poaching, and hunters wanting to put this ''trophy'' in their collection.
I already am in captivity and so are you Would you rather be out there in the wild? Dogs clearly are better off than wolves -yuri Damn beat mme.to it But yea. I have access to waaaaay more freedom and.comfort here in.civilization than I would fending for myself.in the wild. No running water? No heat? No AC? Starving to death? Illness? Famine? Shelter? Shit man. You think only humans like modern comforts? Have you ever seen a dog scratching at the door to be let in? Clearly they.would rather nnot be "free" -yuri
There is an in between though. A dog is most happy when it is running around playing or even hunting. Modern comforts yes, but being confined? I have a cat and although she certainly loves to have food provided for her and she enjoys the comforts of our shelter, especially in the winter, she is most happy when she is out all night, stalking, hunting, exploring, whatever else she does. She especially loves to go out during the full moon. There is an in between. Taking a wild animal and putting it in a zoo so people can gape at it all day is not it.
Humans are voluntary captives, so happiness has to be part of the equation or they wouldn't put up with the tremendous amount of bullshit that comes with domestication and civilized society. Animals, much like a lot of prisoners, are almost better off locked up sometimes. 3 square meals a day, cut off from most negative activity, growth and development in a non-hostile environment, etc. And just like animals in varying ecosystems and environments, the extent of those aspects vary from ideal to not ideal. The difference is "not ideal" in jail or a zoo might mean the food sucks and your freedom to do as you want is restricted severely, while "not ideal" on the outside could mean that you live in a neighborhood/enviornment where statistics show that the chances of you dying young are higher than the chances of you reaching full maturity. And for a lot of humans and animals, that's just the reality of your situation. Do I wish that all animals could be free, that humans could have invested more energy into bettering and understanding different species than hunting them? Sure. But hunting is what we basically did in the wild to get to this point anyway. The cold hard truth is that a lot of those animals would rip you apart in the wild if the tables were turned. At least when it's on human terms, we're throwing them a couple steaks a day, cleaning their habitats, and even sometimes raising awareness about extinction rates and poaching- common reasons why some animals are in zoos to begin with.
Unfortunately we live in a viscous society were rare and endangered animals are hunted. Until the day comes were endangered animals can roam freely, the best option is a safe environment. Of course this doesn't mean lock ALL animals up for humans to "gape" at.