Musk Deer

Brutal winter winds buffet the Siberian forest. The tall trees long for summer's return, short though it may be. But at the base of several bare trunks, invisible love notes call to a would-be mate. The fragrant missives are secretions left by the male musk deer. Long fangs give the buck a demonic appearance, but they too play a role in the mating ritual – weapons in the tussle with rivals for a doe's love. The dream of a mate sustains the lonely musk deer as it searches out scraps of lichen and moss among cold, barren roots.