Berlin Zoo Musk deer in zoo

baboon

baboon

Well-Known Member
15+ year member
I have just surprisely found that Berlin Zoo has Siberian musk deer on display! The musk deer is very hard to display in zoos bacause it is a extreme nervous animal species. Although in China large numbers of musk deer are kept and bred in so-called "musk deer farm", these farms are closed to public, and one of the reasons is that the tourists will make musk deer nervous, and cause them rushing and bouncing everywhere, which may results in death. Hence I am eager to know how Berlin Zoo prevents the musk deer to become nervous? Is their enclosure different from those of other ungulates?
By the way, are there any other zoos display the musk deer?
 
There are Siberian Musk Deer in five European zoos currently - Berlin, Leipzig, Decin, Pilsen and La Torbiera (ZootierlisteHomepage).

I've seen them at Berlin, Leipzig and Pilsen as well as at Paris Jardin des Plantes and Edinburgh (both of these two no longer keep the species).

Berlin's musk deer exhibit is more heavily planted than most of the other small/medium ungulate paddocks but is otherwise similar (and it is right on one of the biggest pathways in the zoo). Pilsen and Leipzig both have large wooded paddocks, though Pilsen's was shut in a yard when I was there.
 
Berlin (1,2 Sibirian musk deers): 1,0 born at Leipzig 2009, 0,1 born at Paris 1997 and 0,1 born at Berlin 2005 (sire: male from Leipzig, dam: female from Paris, the only offspring that survived since 2003)

Leipzig (4,3 Sibirian musk deers in 2 groups): 3,2 co-housed with White-naped crane, 1,1 co-housed with Red-crowned cranes - all 7 animals born at Leipzig Zoo

Plzen (1,1 Sibirian musk deers): both born at Leipzig Zoo, 2005 and 2010

Decin (1,0 Sibirian musk deer): born at Leipzig Zoo

La Torbiera (no information): certainly from Leipzig Zoo

The european population urgently needs "fresh blood" - all musk deers at european Zoos are tracing back to 2,2 imports from the Soviet Union in the 80s to Leipzig. Approximately 100 spotted fawns were born there since 1984.
 
Thank you! Maguari and BjoernN! The Leipzig does good job in breeding and exhibiting musk deer! I don't know why musk deer is so difficult to get, as there are large numbers of forest musk deer, alpine musk deer and Siberian musk deer kept in China's "musk deer farm"; maybe some zoos can import some ones from China? I know Chinese native wildlife is very hard to export to foreign zoos due to the Chinese forestry policy, but in fact they only actually ban the exportation of giant panda, snob-nosed monkey, white-headed langur and crested ibis, other species such as red goral, tufted deer, white-lipped deer, kiang and takin are all exported to European zoos by between-zoo exchange.
 
San Diego is keeping a large number of Sibirian musk deers. I think it is easier to import from San Diego than from China.

Unfortunately only Leipzig (Paris used to breed with animals from Leipzig) is breeding them sucessfully in europe, all other populations died quickly (Edinburgh) or never bred with long range success (Berlin, Decin, La Torbiera, Plzen).
 
baboon said:
I have just surprisely found that Berlin Zoo has Siberian musk deer on display! The musk deer is very hard to display in zoos bacause it is a extreme nervous animal species. Although in China large numbers of musk deer are kept and bred in so-called "musk deer farm", these farms are closed to public, and one of the reasons is that the tourists will make musk deer nervous, and cause them rushing and bouncing everywhere, which may results in death. Hence I am eager to know how Berlin Zoo prevents the musk deer to become nervous? Is their enclosure different from those of other ungulates?
By the way, are there any other zoos display the musk deer?
Click to expand...

musk deer are not more nervous than other deer,gazelles,antelopes,okapis or giraffes-it depense on how they are being kept.

The San Diego Musk deer doing not much well there because of the climate. Southern California is defenitely the wrong place for Musk Deer.
 
Thank you very much! But I think the deer, gazelle, antelope and giraffes in the zoo are very tame and fond of interaction with people ~~~ It is hard to image a musk deer will lie and watch the clamorous tourists outside its enclosure as calmly as a deer or gazelle. The other example is Chinese serow, there are large numbers of Chinese serows kept in the off-exhibit areas of China's several zoos, but almost no zoo (except Guangzhou Zoo, as I know) put them on display, the reason is the same as musk deer: this species is also too nervous.
The climate maybe not a big matter though, I think. Because in the alpine forest of southeast China there are also Siberian musk deer, although a different subspecies.
 
General husbandry for musk deer requires special knowledge. Hence, the summation that musk deer tend to be difficult or "nervous" is correct.

I would agree though that it takes (an) involved hand(s) at importing direct from PR. China and the tenacity to go through with a deal / deals. It must be possible to import takin, serow, musk deer and kiang if only those within the region would give it a go ...
 
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