Takin

타킨

The takin is a goat-antelope of the Himalayas and mountains of China, looking like a cross between an ox and a goat. It has shaggy golden fur and a big arched nose. Adults weigh up to about 350 kg.

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At a glance

Class: Mammals
Lives in: Himalayas and mountains of Sichuan, China
Diet: Plant eater (herbivore)
Weight: about 300 kg
Conservation status: Vulnerable (IUCN VU)
Habitat: mountains, forests

Quick answers

Where does the Takin live?

It lives in mountains, forests. On the globe you can find it near Himalayas and mountains of Sichuan, China.

How big is the Takin?

It grows to about 300 kg.

What does the Takin eat?

Its diet: plant eater (herbivore).

Is the Takin endangered?

It is listed as Vulnerable (IUCN VU).

The takin is a large, stocky goat-antelope of the eastern Himalayas and the mountains of China. It looks like a mix of an ox and a goat, with a long, arched nose, a deep chest, short legs with large two-toed hooves and a shaggy coat. Bulls weigh 300 to 350 kilograms and stand 97 to 140 centimetres at the shoulder.

Its fur is light, often golden in the Sichuan form, with a dark stripe along the back. Both sexes have thick horns that run along the skull before curving up. The takin is the national animal of Bhutan. It lives in forested valleys and rocky, grassy alpine meadows from 1,000 to 4,500 metres above sea level and is listed as vulnerable.

A funny-looking relative of sheep

For a long time the takin was grouped with the musk ox, but newer DNA studies show it is closer to sheep. Its resemblance to the musk ox is a case of convergent evolution, when different animals end up looking alike. Biologist George Schaller called its swollen nose a bee-stung moose. Nicknames include cattle chamois and gnu goat.

Life in the mountains

Takin live in small family groups of around 20, although older males may be more solitary. They produce an oily, strong-smelling substance that they use to mark trees. In summer they climb to high alpine meadows, and in winter they move lower into forests. The Mishmi takin lives in eastern Arunachal Pradesh, India, and the Bhutan takin in western Arunachal and Bhutan.