Takin

The takin is a large, stocky member of the goat-antelope subfamily Caprinae found in the eastern Himalayas, living from forested valleys to rocky, grass-covered alpine zones between 1,000 and 4,500 m. It has a deep chest, a long arched nose, stout horns in both sexes and a shaggy, light coat with a dark stripe along the back. Takins live in small family groups of around 20, with herds of up to 300 gathering high on mountain slopes in summer, and they move to lower, more forested ground in winter. They graze on leaves, grasses, bamboo shoots and flowers, and salt is an important part of their diet. It is the national animal of Bhutan.

About the takin

A takin is a large, stocky goat-antelope of the genus Budorcas, with a shaggy golden to brown coat, a long arched nose and thick horns in both sexes. Takins live in mountain forests from the eastern Himalayas to central China. Despite looking like a muskox, their closest relatives are sheep.

The scientific name Budorcas taxicolor translates roughly as "ox-gazelle the color of a badger," from the Greek for ox and gazelle and the Latin for badger and hue. Takins were once grouped with the muskox, but mitochondrial DNA shows they are closer to sheep of the genus Ovis, such as the domestic sheep. The resemblance to a muskox is convergent evolution. Biologist George Schaller compared the takin to a "bee-stung moose" because of its swollen-looking nose, and its blend of features earned it nicknames like "cattle chamois" and "gnu goat."

"Takin" covers more than one form. Budorcas taxicolor, the takin in the narrow sense and the national animal of Bhutan, is listed with three subspecies: the Mishmi takin, the golden takin and the Bhutan takin. Its close relative, the Tibetan or Sichuan takin, is B. tibetana. A 2022 study concluded that takins are likely two species, the Himalayan takin (B. taxicolor) and the Chinese takin (B. tibetana). The size and behavior figures that follow are those given for B. taxicolor.

It is among the largest and stockiest members of its subfamily. A takin stands 97 to 140 cm (38 to 55 in) at the shoulder but is relatively short in the body, 160 to 220 cm (63 to 87 in), with a tail of just 12 to 21.6 cm (4.7 to 8.5 in) that is usually hidden in fur. Bulls weigh about 300 to 350 kg (660 to 770 lb) and cows 250 to 300 kg (550 to 660 lb).

The coat is long and shaggy, whitish yellow to golden yellow to reddish brown, with a dark stripe down the back, and bulls have dark faces. Hair runs from 3 cm (1.2 in) on the flanks in summer to 24 cm (9.4 in) under the head in winter. The horns, carried by both sexes, run along the skull before turning up to a short point; they are usually about 30 cm (12 in) long but can reach 64 cm (25 in). The short legs end in large two-toed hooves, each with a well-developed spur.

The takin also produces an oily, strong-smelling secretion over its whole body, which it uses to scent-mark objects such as trees.

Behavior and diet

Takins live in herds that change with the seasons. In summer, groups of up to 300 gather high on the mountain slopes. In winter they move down to lower, more forested ground and split into bands of around 20. Older males often live alone and join groups mainly to mate. Herds gather in the largest numbers around good feeding sites, salt licks and hot springs, and in winter they favor sunny spots at sunrise.

Though usually slow moving, a takin can leap nimbly from rock to rock on steep slopes. It spends much of the day in thick vegetation. When something alarms it, a takin gives a cough-like warning call, and the herd retreats into dense bamboo and lies flat on the ground to hide.

Takins feed in the early morning and late afternoon. They are generalist plant eaters, mostly browsers, taking deciduous leaves from trees and shrubs along with grasses, herbs, bamboo shoots and flowers. In winter they eat twigs and evergreen leaves. To reach high food they push over saplings up to 10 cm (4 in) thick or stand on their hind legs, reaching leaves more than 3.1 m (10 ft) up.

Salt is essential. Takins will travel long distances to mineral deposits and may stay at one for several days.

Mating takes place in July and August. Males compete by sparring head-to-head, and both sexes seem to use the scent of their own urine to signal dominance; they sometimes spray urine onto their own undersides. After a gestation of about seven to eight months, a single calf weighing 5 to 7 kg (11 to 15 lb) is born. It can follow its mother within three days, starts eating solid food at one to two months, and reaches sexual maturity at about 30 months.

Range and habitat

The Himalayan takin lives in the eastern Himalayas, from forested valleys up to rocky, grass-covered alpine zones between 1,000 and 4,500 m (3,300 and 14,800 ft) above sea level. The Mishmi takin lives in eastern Arunachal Pradesh in India, and the Bhutan takin in western Arunachal Pradesh and Bhutan. The Dihang-Dibang Biosphere Reserve in Arunachal Pradesh is a stronghold for both. Taken as a whole, takins are recorded from eastern Tibet, Sikkim, Bhutan, northern Assam and northern Myanmar to central and southern China.

The yearly migration is central to its life: summers on high pastures and winters in lower forest.

Takin vs Sichuan takin

The Himalayan takin and the Sichuan takin were long treated as one species, and a 2022 study concluded they are likely two. The Sichuan takin has its own page.

Conservation status

The takin, Budorcas taxicolor, is listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List (Song, Smith and MacKinnon, 2008), and it is considered Endangered in China. It is also listed on Appendix II of CITES. It is not naturally common, and its population appears to have dropped considerably.

The main threats are overhunting and the destruction of its habitat. Local people have long hunted takins for meat, and takin horns have turned up in the illegal wildlife trade: surveys at a market in Tachilek, Myanmar, between 1999 and 2006 found 89 sets of horns openly for sale. Natural predators include bears and wolves.