Sichuan Takin in Tangjiahe Nature Reserve

There are about 1,000 "Sichuan Takin" growing in the Tangjiahe Nature Reserve. In winter when food is relatively scarce, a population generally consists of 10-35 Sichuan Takins, and in spring and summer when food is abundant, the population can reach as high as 300. The population consists of adult female Sichuan takin, sub-adult Sichuan takin and cubs. After adulthood, the Sichuan Takin leaves the population and walks alone, except for the mating period in late summer.

Takin (Budorcas taxicolor) has a large body with a height of 110-120 cm at the shoulder. The male weighs up to 400 kg. The largest one can reach 2 meters at the shoulder and weighs 1 ton. Both male and female takins have short horns. It is a large bovine herbivore distributed in dense forest areas in the eastern foothills of the Himalayas. Due to the different origins, the coat color gradually becomes lighter from south to north. There are 4 subspecies: Gaoligong Takin, Bhutan Takin, Sichuan Takin, Qinling Takin, all live in China. They live in high cold areas above 2500 meters. They live in groups, with about 20-30 heads per group, up to 50 heads. The number is sparse, and there are only a few thousand in China, which is a national first-class protected animal. They are distributed in southwest China, northwest China, Nepal, Bhutan, India, and Myanmar. Takin is the national animal of Bhutan, and the name "Takin" originated from Bhutan.

https://www.tibet-tours.com/591-Bird-Watching-Wildlife-Travel-in-South-Shaanxi-West-Sichuan.html
https://www.tibet-tours.com/770-Bird-Watching-Travel-in-Western-Sichuan.html
https://www.tibet-tours.com/1282-Birding-and-Wildlife-Adventure-on-Qinghai-Tibet-Plateau-1

Photo by Deng Jianxin