An injured endangered deer has been rescued in a nature reserve in northwest China's Gansu Province.

The injured Alpine musk deer was found in Gansu Qilianshan National Nature Reserve, located between the Qinghai-Tibet, Mongolian and Loess plateaus.

On Nov. 23, a herder from Zhangye found the female deer lying on the ground. He took the deer home and reported it to authorities, according to Duo Lei, with the nature reserve.

An initial examination found that the deer's front legs might have been injured from falling rocks. It is currently under professional care.

"After a week's care, the deer is able to eat by itself, but it is still a little vulnerable and cannot stand on its own," said Duo. "We will continue to take care of it until it is fully recovered and then release it into the wild."

The Alpine musk deer is a Class I state-protected species. The solitary and nocturnal animal usually weighs about 15 kg. Males can produce musk, which was previously used for perfumes and stimulants. The species was classified as "endangered" by the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species in 2016.