Hemitragus jemlahicus (Himalayan tahr)
Hemitragus jemlahicus – Himalayan tahr (click to enlarge)
Common name
Himalayan Tahr
Latin name
Hemitragus jemlahicus C.H.Smith 1826
Local name
Karth
IUCN/WPA/Indian status
Near threatened /I/Uncommon
Social unit
Mixed herds of up to 75 animals, group size in spring 5-6 comprising female and offspring’s, yearlings and one or two sub adults
Size / weight
HBL: 130-170 cm.(male) 90 cm (female),Less than 25 cm ( female) AS: up to 46 cm female horns smaller WEIGHT : 90-125 kg(male),55-72 kg (female)
Description
The Himalayan Tahr male is a deep copper brown mountain goat while ewes and younger males are light brown. The male Tahr has a coarse, tangled mane over its neck and chest, and a mantle that covers the flanks down to its thighs. The horns on both sexes are close-set, short, laterally compressed, wrinkled and having a sharp keel on the anterior edge.
Behavior
Adult males segregate into all male herds in spring and rejoin females in the autumn.
Distribution
Fragmented distribution in western and central Himalayas from Jammu & Kashmir (rare: west of Doda) to Sikkim.
Habitat
Temperate and subalpine forests precipitous terrain with grass cover and slopes with oak and bamboo forests. In the Greater Himalayas, found on southern forested slops(1550-5300 m although they prefer higher altitudes between 2000-4400 m).
Best seen
Kedarnath WLS Uttarakhand