The vampire deer, also known as the Kashmir musk deer or scientifically, Moschus cupreus, is a rare deer species that was first found in the early 17th century that contain tusks resembling the fangs of a vampire. The fang resembling tusks led to its name, the vampire deer, which are found in parts of South Asia in countries like Afghanistan and India. Scientist have not concluded how this rare species of deer have emerged or why they have grown tusks, and although it has been questioned if the vampire deer drink blood, there is no evidence to support this claim. The rare vampire deer species are an endangered species with small numbers, making them uncommon to spot. The rare species has only been reportedly seen 11 times but was most recently found and seen by a native in the mountains of Afghanistan.
The man who found the deer stated that the deer looked directly at him before running away to joinfour other vampire deer. The man has not seen the vampire deer since nor have any villagers living in the area that the deer was found. The man stated that the deer joined 4 others, which is standard for this species. Vampire deer engage in groups of five and are only present in the winter. This is because they favor cold climates in high altitude environments and heavy snow fall, which is why the deer was discovered in Afghanistan’s mountains. Scientist have not determined the reason for the preferred cold and snowy environment but due to the species being 2 feet tall, their size allows them to dig burrows and hide in the snow from predators. The advantage of their tusks is also unknown.
Yoseph Alkahli
San Jose State University