Alpine musk deer

Alpine musk deer

　　The alpine musk deer is a rare and precious Class I protected animal in China. The musk produced by the male deer is one of the most valuable traditional Chinese medicinal ingredients, known for its effects of "clearing all orifices, opening meridians, and invigorating muscles and bones." It is also a highly expensive spice. Currently, domestic supply is extremely scarce, with market prices at 3–5 times that of gold, and international prices ranging from 60 to 80 US dollars per gram.

Feng County has been an early starter in alpine musk deer domestication, with comprehensive technical expertise. Since the early 1980s, it has conducted research on artificial domestication techniques for alpine musk deer. It has now mastered a complete set of successful techniques for feeding, management, breeding, disease prevention and treatment, as well as live musk extraction, which have been recognized by the National Forestry Administration and East China Normal University.

The alpine musk deer domestication industry in Feng County has developed rapidly, growing at an annual rate of 45%. The county currently has 42 farms with a total of 439 alpine musk deer, making it the largest musk deer breeding base in northwestern China.

The alpine musk deer products from Feng County are of high quality, large yield, and strictly managed. The musk produced by the deer in Feng County, commonly known as "Qin Xiang" (Qin Musk), is renowned across China for having higher active ingredients than musk from other musk deer species, and has been a tribute to the imperial court for over two thousand years. With an annual production of just over 2,000 grams through artificial live extraction, its output ranks among the top in China. Qin Musk must be extracted live under the supervision of the county’s wildlife management department, collected by designated personnel from the musk deer farming association, sealed and stored on-site, uniformly packaged, and sold as a purely natural product.