The order on approval of the Strategy was signed by the Minister of Natural resourses Yury Trutnev. The document is developed by Ministry of Natural Resourses of the Russian Federation in collaboration with the Severtsov Institute of ecology and evolution. The main goal of the Strategy is development and implementing of the mechanisms for conservation  of musk deer, listed in the Russian Federation Red Book.

Musk-deer is called the smallest deer in Siberia. Only male musk deer produce musk, at the rate of about 23-25 g of musk, per animal, per year. Musk pods, the glands that secrete the musk, are harvested by killing the deer, and three or more musk deer may be killed before a male with a sufficiently large musk gland is caught. Musk is mainly used in traditional East Asian medicine. At average poachers kill about 30 species a year.

Changes in ecological conditions cause reduction of the population number. Musk deer is included in the list of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).

The Strategy includes measures for conservation of musk deer by fighting against  poachery, elimination of the musk market, conservation of sakhalin musk deer habitat and its reproduction.

Source: Ministry of Natural Resourses of the Russian Federation