Markhor | The markhor is an endangered species of wild goat
that is natively found in the mountainous regions of western and
central and Asia. The markhor is thought to have been named using the
Persian word for snake, either because of the large coiled horns
of the markhor or due to it's ability to kill snakes in the wild,
although the exact reason is unknown. The markhor is found in
northeastern Afghanistan, Gilgit-Baltistan, Hunza-Nagar Valley, northern
and central Pakistan and the
disputed territory of Kashmir, southern Tajikistan and southern
Uzbekistan. The markhor is most commonly found inhabiting the
high-altitude monsoon forests that litter these areas.
The markhor is a very distinctive species of wild goat, easily identified by it's long, white winter hair and the enormous spiralled horns
that can grow to more than 1.5 meters in length on the males. The horns
of the females are, although still large for goats, generally less than
50cm in length. Markhor are well adapted to mountainous terrain, and
can be found between 600-3,600 meters in elevation. They typically
inhabit scrub forests made up primarily of oaks , pines, and junipers where there is plenty for the markhor to eat. Markhor are also diurnal animals, meaning that they are mainly active in the early morning and late afternoon.
The markhor is a herbivorous animal that primarily grazes on a variety of vegetation
including grasses, leaves, herbs, fruits and flowers. Like other wild
goats, the markhor play a valuable role within their eco-system as they
munch the leaves from the low-lying trees and scrub, spreading the seeds
in their dung. Despite living almost on a cliff-edge, there are
actually a number of animals that prey on these incredibly majestic
creatures. Packs of wolves and wild cats such as lynxes snow leopards
are the main predators of the markhor, along with humans who have
deforested much of their natural habitat.
The markhor breeds in the winter when, after a gestation period that lasts for up to 170 days, usually one and occasionally two markhor babies (known as kids) are born. The markhor kids
remain safe and looked after by their mother until they are able to eat
solid food and become more and more independent. Today, despite being
the national animal of Pakistan, the markhor is considered to be an
endangered species with less than 2,500 individuals thought to be left
in a few remote areas of the Asian mountains. The decline in markhor
population numbers in mainly due to deforestation resulting in the loss
of their native habitats.
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