XI'AN - The carcasses of 10 forest musk deer, which join pandas on China's most endangered species list, have been found in a crackdown on poaching in Northwest China's Shaanxi province.

The carcasses were found in Yichuan county, Yan'an, and two suspects have been detained, the county forest police announced on Tuesday.

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Xin Xuechao and Liu Fujun, both 40 and from Nanzhao county, Henan province, came to Yichuan on Oct 29 and lived in a local villager's home, saying they were gathering medicinal herbs in the mountains, according to Zhang Huaili, director of the county's Forest Public Security Bureau.

"We received reports on Dec 8 that the suspects had been hunting animals in the county's Xuejiaping forest. We caught them with a number of animal carcasses," Zhang said.

Besides the 10 musk deer, they are accused of killing five roe deer, three weasels, one yellow civet cat and one leopard cat.

Police were unsure at first about the remains and animal experts from the Yan'an Forest Bureau confirmed that the killed were the world endangered musk deer.

According to Xue Yonggong, deputy director of the Yan'an city wild animal protection station, there is no record of such musk deer being in Yichuan county and it was the first time that such animals had been reported living in this area.

Musk deer, a rare animal 60-80 cm in length, 45-50 cm high at the shoulder and weighing 8-10 kg, is known for its musk secretion, which has very high economic and medicinal value.

A male musk deer can produce about 20 grams of musk a year and the price for wild musk is about 600 to 1,000 yuan ($90 to $150) per gram.

In 2002, China upgraded the protection level for musk deer from second class to top class to stop the hunting of musk deer and better protect the endangered animals.

According to Xue, local forest police and workers have taken action to protect musk deer after discovering the animals were living in the area. "We found and cleaned up more than 50 wire hooks and cages used by the suspects to catch animals in the forest," Xue said.

"The suspects confessed that they had sent six musk glands they got from the male musk deer to their hometown and I have sent police to retrieve the glands as soon as possible," the police director said.

The Shaanxi Institute of Zoology suggested that a provincial level protection area should be established in Yichuan county to protect musk deer and other rare wild animals there.

Previously, Wang Zhaoquan, a villager in the province's Foping county, was sentenced to 11 and a half years in prison for killing six male musk deer and selling three musk glands from 2003 to 2004.