New Delhi, Aug. 1 -- Summary A Central Zoo Authority report reveals a mix-up in identifying the Alpine musk deer for conservation breeding, mistakenly initiating programs for the Himalayan musk deer instead.

This misidentification highlights the challenges in animal conservation efforts in India, with no clarity on the Alpine musk deer's population, which is critically endangered according to the IUCN's 2014 assessment.

There has been a confusion in correctly distinguishing this species [the Alpine musk deer (Moschus chrysogaster)] from the Himalayan Musk Deer (Moschus leucogaster), which is distributed from the western to eastern Himalayas. Due to their sympatric distribution, it is possible that zoos have misidentified these species,"...