Vampire Bambi?

With its fangs hanging ready for action, the Kashmir musk deer reappeared last year in Afghanistan 60 years after its last sighting in1948.  Luckily these herbivores aren’t in search for blood.  A bite from one of their fangs would make a nip from Dracula seem painless!

These fanged bucks bare their teeth to impress hot does, and to fight off other deer.  Unfortunately, while the deer are looking for does, hunters are looking for them.  Their meat is a local delicacy.  Apparently they are worth over $20,455 per pound ($45,000 per kilogram), according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature, on the black market.  Their scent glands are used for medicines and perfumes.  Because of destruction of habitat and poaching, the musk deer has become an endangered species, and like vampires, they are pretty darn hard to photograph.

Have a happy and safe Halloween! 

To learn more about Violette, visit www.violettemeier.com. 

Works cited:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/speaking-of-science/wp/2014/10/31/fanged-deer-pops-up-in-afghanistan-60-years-after-its-last-appearance/

http://www.livescience.com/48585-fanged-deer-sighting-afghanistan.html