Details
Capra falconeri
The markhor is a wild goat of Central and South Asian mountains with spectacular spiral horns. It moves across steep slopes while feeding on grasses and shrubs.
Map: Ecoregions 2017 © RESOLVE (CC BY 4.0) · Natural Earth (PD)
It occurs around the Hindu Kush, Karakoram, and Himalayan ranges. Rocky slopes, grassland, and open woodland offer forage and escape terrain.
Length 130-186 cm; weight 32-110 kg. Males carry long corkscrew horns and heavy neck hair, while females are smaller with shorter horns.
Diurnal and herd-forming, it keeps to broken mountain terrain. Females and young gather in groups, while mature males often stay apart outside the rut.
A herbivore, it grazes and browses grasses, leaves, shrubs, and shoots. Seasonal movements follow forage and snow conditions along slopes.
During the rut, males compete with their horns for access to females. Females give birth to one or two kids in safer mountain cover.
It is listed as Near Threatened. Community conservation and regulated hunting revenue have aided some populations, but poaching and fragmentation remain risks.
