A rare forest musk deer was caught by an infrared camera during a recent biodiversity monitoring programme in the Gaoligong Mountain National Nature Reserve in Fugong County, southwest China's Yunnan Province.

The video captured at 12:15 p.m. October 25 shows the deer walking around and constantly looking back vigilantly.

The forest musk deer mainly lives in Yunnan, Hubei and Qinghai provinces in China. Due to deforestation and poaching in the past, its population decreased sharply and it has been listed as a nationally first-level protected animal and endangered species.

"The image captured fills in the blank of image data of the forest musk deer under natural living conditions in Fugong County," said Dong Yuhai, Deputy Director of Fugong Administration and Protection Branch of the Gaoligong Mountain National Nature Reserve.

"We will strengthen the protection of the nature reserve and take the area as a priority for monitoring. In addition, we will strengthen the monitoring of endangered species and collect relevant information to provide more scientific basis for learning about the number, distribution and living environment of wildlife," said Dong. 

(Cui Min and Li Sunqing of the Spring City Evening News)