Mankind's obsession with spices has existed since ancient times. In this vast land, musk is undoubtedly one of the most precious and fascinating spices. However, behind this fragrance lies a heart-wrenching and cruel history.
Charming musk
In China, musk deer is mainly derived from five species of musk deer: the proto-musk deer, the forest musk deer, the horse musk deer, the black musk deer, and the Himalayan musk deer. These docile, timid and agile creatures like to live deep in the jungle, away from the hustle and bustle. They feed on twigs and mosses, and their lifestyle is very simple.
Musk deer have a unique way of life. They like to climb cliffs and divide their range into different areas such as "lying places", "defecation areas" and "feeding areas". And what makes humans covet is the musk sac in the body of male musk deer.
The musk sac is located near the genitals of the male musk deer and secretes a fragrant, long-lasting musk. This natural spice can not only be used as a top spice fixative, but also a rare elixir in traditional Chinese medicine, which is said to have the miraculous effect of "opening the body and awakening the mind, and activating the meridians".
Before the middle of the last century, the musk deer resources on the mainland were quite abundant. However, due to human greed and ignorance, these poor creatures were mercilessly slaughtered, and their numbers were reduced to less than one-fifth of their original number.
The history of cruel incense
The high price of musk in the market has made countless people obsessed - 1 gram of musk is as high as 800 yuan! Under the temptation of this huge profit, people began to hunt wildly. At that time, people's knowledge of musk deer was still very limited, so the way of obtaining incense was often very barbaric and brutal.
In order to obtain musk, many male musk deer are hunted alive, and the musk sac is cut alive. Some musk deer will even bite through the sachet by self-mutilation in order to escape the pain. Under this kind of cruel hunting, the number of wild musk deer has been declining, and the living environment has been damaged like never before.
At the end of the 50s of the last century, with the rise of musk farming, the situation of wild musk deer was slightly eased. But even so, in the early stages of farming, male musk deer are not immune to abuse. It is only in recent years that the scientific method of taking incense from the living body has been gradually promoted.
A scientific and humane way to take incense
At present, most farms use the method of live incense. From March to August every year, it is the period when the male musk deer secretes the most vigorous musk. During this time, the staff will open a small opening for the male musk deer under sterile conditions, and repeatedly scrape the dry secretions in the sachet, each time taking about 20 grams. Not only is this more humane, but it also allows the same male musk deer to be recycled for many years.
Biotechnology has dramatically increased yields
Although captivity has significantly reduced the pressure on wild musk deer, the production of natural musk has been limited. In order to meet the market demand, mankind has begun to invest heavily in synthetic musk technology.
Through bioengineering techniques, humans have succeeded in cultivating the bacteria and yeasts that produce musk as a constant source of energy. Using large-scale fermenters, hundreds of kilograms of musk can be produced per year. Compared with natural musk, this synthetic musk is not only purer and more environmentally friendly, but also has more controllable quality and lower cost.
Nowadays, the proportion of synthetic musk is increasing, and it has become a mainstream product. It has contributed to the protection of rare wild resources.
The charm of natural musk still drives countless people crazy. Especially in some traditional fields, such as incense, incense powder, essential oils, etc., people still have a large demand for natural musk. Therefore, how to achieve sustainable use under the premise of protecting wild musk deer is still a difficult problem that needs to be explored.
The path to conservation of wild musk deer
When it comes to the protection of musk deer, it is impossible not to mention the significant efforts made by the mainland in terms of legislation and action. As early as the 80s of the last century, the mainland listed rare musk deer such as forest musk deer and original musk deer as national key protected wild animals. In 2021, the Wildlife Protection Law once again reaffirmed that the hunting and trade of rare and endangered musk deer and their products is prohibited.
In addition to legal protection, the mainland has also made active attempts in species rescue and artificial breeding. In 2010, China's first musk deer rescue station was established in Ganzi Prefecture, Sichuan Province, to provide professional rescue and shelter for injured musk deer. In addition, Chengdu, Xining and other cities have also carried out attempts to raise musk deer in captivity.
Significant progress has been made in captive breeding. Sichuan has once again successfully achieved artificial insemination of Himalayan musk deer, injecting new vitality into the gene pool of endangered species.
The protection of rare wild species is not only related to national biodiversity, but also related to the civilization and conscience of the entire human race. Although the musk deer is far from extinction, it is still far from the ideal protection goal.
Red Star News, 2021-11-22, "The Chain of Interests Behind the Doxxing of "Bloody Musk": Poaching Gangs Cloth More Than 200 Wire Sets to "Kill Musk Deer for Incense"
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