Reintroduction of the Siberian musk deer (Moschus moschiferus Linnaeus, 1758) in Central Mongolia: First practical experiences

The Siberian musk deer (Moschus moschiferus Linnaeus, 1758), a small and elusive forest ungulate of northern Asia, has experienced significant population declines in Mongolia driven by habitat degradation, unsustainable pine nut harvesting, and intensive poaching.To support population recovery, the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change of Mongolia, in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), implemented a conservation translocation program over three winter field seasons from 2020 to 2025.Fifteen individuals were captured in the Khan-undur Mountains, an area with stable musk deer occurrence, using coordinated drive-net techniques and transported approximately 130 km to the Bukhun Shar Mountains in the Khangai region.At the release site, the animals were housed in semi-natural acclimatization enclosures designed to simulate natural forest habitat.Individuals received supplemental hay, lichens, and water and were monitored daily throughout winter to evaluate health, behavior, and adaptation prior to soft release in early spring.All capture, transport, and holding procedures were completed without mortality, demonstrating the feasibility, safety, and welfare compatibility of these methods under field conditions.This initiative represents the first formally documented reintroduction of M. moschiferus in Central Mongolia.The experience gained provides practical guidance for future conservation translocations of small forest ungulates in continental climates.The integrated protocol drive-net capture, same-day shortdistance transport, and soft release following prolonged acclimatization offers a realistic framework for similar efforts.Overall, the results underscore the importance of careful source-site selection, pre-release acclimatization, and structured post-release monitoring to improve long-term conservation outcomes for the Siberian musk deer.