Markhor

is a wild goat and one of the most beautiful wild animals inhabiting the mountainous regions of Pakistan. The animal prefers living on dangerous and steep cliffs of the mountains to protect themselves from the attacks of wild predators including snow leopard and wolf. Also these high cliffs provide safe refuge from the hunters, who wishes to get at least one pride trophy of markhor in their hunting life. The male markhor is more beautiful while having long twisted horns. These animals have strong role in the food web of the mountains ecosystem and their presence ensures to keep it in shape both for nature and humans.

Pakistan hosts seven Caprinae species with 11 sub-species occupying habitats from the hills in the southern desert to the high alpine areas of the Himalaya (Hess et al., 1997). Most of the worlds Caprinae population inhabits Pakistan’s lower altitudes, use steep slopes, loosely covered by bushesor open forests, providing readily available rock bluffs as escape terrain.

Broadly, there are divided into two categories: flare-horned markhor (Capra falconeri falconeri) and straight-horned markhor (Capra falconeri megaceros). Flare-horned markhor includes two sub-species: Pir Panjal or Kashmir markhor and Astore markhor, whereas straight-horned markhor also includes two sub-species as well: Kabul markhor and straight-horned or Suleiman markhor. The Chiltan Markhor has been categorised as Chiltan Wild Goat.

Key Facts

Schaller (1977) recorded shoulder height of 102 cm, 104 kg average weight, 143 cm average maximum horn length with a record horn length of 165 cm of Kashmir type while 97 cm shoulder height, 82 cm average maximum horn length with a record horn length of 123 cm for straight-horned markhor. Markhor has been listed as endangered in the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List

Types

In Pakistan, straight and ‘flaring are the two basic shapes of markhor horns. The examples of straight horns are Kabul and Suleiman markhor, which forms up to 3 spirals, the former with an open and loose twist and the latter with an open and tight twist which resembles a corkscrew. The Kashmir markhor has slight to moderate flaring horns, large horns having 2-3 twists to the spiral, and Astore markhor horns flare widely near the base and usually have no more than 1.5 twists. Each of these four markhor sub-species has been given specific taxonomic status.

Threats

Several factors have resulted in the population decline in its range of occurrence including hunting for meat and sport (trophies), habitat alteration and degradation, encroachment, fencing, competition with domestic livestock for fodder, disease transmission form livestock and space and increase in the human population in the natural habitat of markhor.

Markhor Few Minutes Video :