Musk deer (Moschus chrysogaster), one of six deer species that occur in Nepal, belongs to Order- Artiodactyla, Family-Moschidae. In Asia, it is distributed in Afghanistan, Bhutan, China, India, Myanmar, Nepal, and Pakistan. In Nepal, it is found in the Annapurna Conservation Area (ACA), Kanchenjunga Conservation Area (KCA), Sagarmatha, Langtang, Shey Phoksundo, Rara, Khaptad and Makalu Barun National Parks and Manaslu Conservation Area, where a major problem is poaching (NBS, 2002). In these areas, they are distributed in alpine forest and the vegetation consists of oak, fir, rhododendron, blue pine, juniper, grass, lichens and scrub between elevations of 2,200 to 4,300 m on the eastern and southern edge of Tibet and the southern slopes of the Himalayas. M. chrysogaster usually lives in forests with moderate to steep slopes (Kattel, 1991; Green, 1987).

Musk deer is a protected mammal and listed as an endangered species by the National Parks and Wildlife Conservation Act 1973, in Nepal. It is listed by CITES in Appendix I for Afghanistan, India, Nepal and Pakistan, and in Appendix II for Bhutan and China.

The purpose of the study “Status (population, poaching and habitat) of musk deer (Moschus chrysogaster) in Annapurna Conservation Area of Manang district” was to determine the musk deer population, habitat structure, extent of poaching activities and the deer’s current status in Manang district of Annapurna Conservation Area of Nepal, where this data is lacking.