Markhor, a wild goat

Class: Mammals

Order: Artiodactyla

Family: Bovidae

Weight: 50-65 kg

Height: up to 85 cm

Body length: up to 2 m

Color: white, sometimes brown with patches on the muzzle

Age of sexual maturity: 2-3 years

Gestation period: approximately 6 months

Lifespan: up to 10 years

Habitat: found among rocky mountains in India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, in some regions of Turkmenistan and Tajikistan

Diet: herbaceous vegetation (grasses, succulent shoots, sedges, dock leaves), but also young tree shoots and shrubs

Did You Know?

• The Markhor is listed as a rare animal in the International Red Book.
• The Markhor is depicted on a commemorative coin of Russia.
• The animal’s stomach contains “bezoar stone”, considered a useful remedy that helps draw out venom from snake bites.
• The Markhor is a symbol of Pakistan.