Markhor Animal II 2024

Markhor

The Markhor (capra hawk)/capra (goat) is a large breed of goat native to South Asia and Central Asia, particularly Pakistan, the Karakoram Range, parts of Afghanistan and within the Himalayas. It has been listed as Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List since 2015.

The Markhor is the national animal of Pakistan, where it is also known (in English) as the "screwhorn" or screwhorn goat. The word Markhor, meaning "snake eater," comes from Classical Urdu and Persian, referring to the ancient belief that Markhor actively killed and ate snakes. This regional legend is believed to have originated from the "snake-like" shape of the male Markhor's horns, which twist and turn like a snake, which may have led to the ancient people's association with snakes.

An Explanation

Markhor stand 65 to 115 cm (26 to 45 in) at the shoulder, 132 to 186 cm (52 to 73 in) tall, and weigh 32 to 110 kg (71 to 243 lb.). Their shoulder height is high. It is descended from the capra, but exceeds the Siberian ibex in length and weight. The fur is grizzly, light brown to black, and smooth and short in summer, while long and rough in winter. The fur on the lower legs is black and white. Markhor are sexually variable, with males having longer hair on the chin, neck, chest and legs. The women are red, have short hair, short black beards, and are naked. Both sexes have strongly curved, spiral-shaped horns that are close together on the head, but extend upwards towards the tips. The horns of males can be up to 160 cm (63 in) long and the horns of females up to 25 cm (10 in). Males have a better sense of smell than domestic goats.

Behavior and Environment

tadjik Markhor

Women with their babies at the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium

The marker corresponds to mountainous terrain, and occurs at elevations between 600 and 3,600 meters (2,000 and 11,800 ft). They usually live in herbaceous forests consisting mainly of oak (Quercus ilex), pine (Pinus gerardiana) and juniper (Juniperus macropoda). They are diurnal, active mainly in the early morning and late afternoon. Their diet changes seasonally: in spring and summer they graze, but in winter they forage, sometimes standing on their hind legs to reach high branches. Mating season comes in the winter, when males fight each other by lunging, locking horns and trying to balance each other. The gestation period ranges from 135 to 170 days and usually one, two and sometimes three litters are born. Markhor Animal live in herds, usually of nine animals, consisting of adult females and their young. Adult men often feel lonely. The majority of Markhor's population is women and adult children, with adult women making up 32 percent and children 31 percent. Adult males make up 19% of the population, subadult males (males 2–3 years old) represent 12%, and juveniles (females 12–24 months old) represent 9%. Early in the season, males and females can be found together on open grass slopes and clear slopes in the middle of the forest. In summer, the males stay in the forest, while the females usually climb the high rocky hills. Males live at higher altitudes where they have more access to vegetation to forage for better body condition.

The Hunter
Male Markhor Animal

Eurasian lynx (Lynx lynx), snow leopard (Panthera uncia), Himalayan wolf (Canis lupus chancu) and brown bear (Arsus arctos) are the main predators of Markhor Animal. Young marmots have keen eyesight and a keen sense of smell to detect nearby predators. Markhors are very aware of their surroundings and are on high alert. In open areas, they quickly find predators and flee.

Astor Markhor

Astor Markhors Animal have large, flat horns, with broad branches and therefore standing almost straight with only half a turn. It is synonymous with Capra falconeri Cashmiriensis or Peer Panjal Markhor which has heavy, flat and curved corkscrew like horns. Astor markhor also becomes sexually isolated outside of the mating season by a number of different mechanisms. There are women. It is generally restricted to coral reefs with low forage coverage, while males live in areas with high forage coverage.

Within Afghanistan, the Astur Markhor region is limited to the high and mountainous monsoon forests of Laghman and Nuristan in the east. In India, this subspecies is restricted to a part of Pir Panjal in southwestern Jammu and Kashmir. Across this range, the Astor Markhor population extends east of the Panhal Pass (50 km from the Chenab River) on the Jammu-Srinagar Highway to the disputed border with Pakistan. Recent surveys indicate that it is still found in the catchment areas of the Lumbar and Lachipura rivers in the Jhelum Valley Forest Division and around Shopian south of Srinagar. In Pakistan, Astor Markhor is restricted to the Indus River and its tributaries as well as the Kunar (Chitral) River and its tributaries. Along the Indus River, it inhabits the Tungus (Baltistan) upstream from Gilkot (Kohistan District), Gkoch as the western border of the Gilgit River, Chalat to the Hunza River, and the Parshing Valley above the Astor River. It is said to be situated on the right side of Wadi Yasin (Gilgit district), although this is not certain. The Flared-horned Markhor is also found in Chitral and the border areas with Afghanistan, where it inhabits various valleys along the Kunar River (Chitral District) from Arundu on the west bank and Darosh to Shughur on the east bank. Berenice on the banks of the Lutkho River, and even the Mestoj River. Currently, the highest population in Pakistan is found in Chitral National Park. Currently, the highest population in Pakistan is found in Chitral National Park

Bukhara Markhor

Bukharan markhor

Although the Bukhari Markhor Animal or Tajik Markhor (Capra falconeri haptinii) formerly lived mainly in the mountains along the northern bank of the Amu River and along the Bayang River from Turkmenistan to Tajikistan, there are now two or three groups spread over the same area Anomalous distribution it was found. It is restricted to the area between the lower Bayang and Vakhsh rivers near Kaliab in Tajikistan (about 38°N, 70°E) and the Kugitangtau mountain range in Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan (about 37°30N, 66°40E). This subspecies probably occurs in the Darwa Peninsula in northern Afghanistan near the Tajikistan border. Before 1979, almost nothing was known about this subspecies or its distribution in Afghanistan, and no new information has been received in Afghanistan since then.

Markhor Kabul

The horns and keys of the Kabul Markhor are slightly bent. The new equivalent is Capra falconeri jerdoni.

Until 1978, the Kabul Markhor tribe existed in Afghanistan only in the Kabul Ghat and Kah Safi districts of Kapisa, and in some isolated enclaves in between. It currently lives in inaccessible areas of its extensive range in the mountains of Kapisa and Kabul provinces, where it has been driven from its original habitat by poaching. In Pakistan, its current range includes only small, isolated areas in Baluchistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province (KPK) and Dera Ghazi Khan District (Punjab Province). The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Forest Department believes that this subspecies is still inhabited in the districts of Mardan and Sheikh Badin. At least 100 animals live in the Pakistani part of the White Mountains (Karm and Khyber districts).

Relationship with native goats

Some authors have speculated that the Markhor Animal is the ancestor of some domestic goats. Some consider the Angora goat to be a direct descendant of the Central Asian goat. Charles Darwin argued that the modern goat arose from the hybridization of the Markhor with wild goats. There is evidence of Markhor breeding with native goats. One study reported that 35.7 percent of captive marjorams analyzed (from three different zoos) had mitochondrial DNA from domestic goats. Other authors have suggested that the Markhor may be the ancestor of some Egyptian goat subspecies, based on their similar horns, although the lack of a rear part in the Markhor's horns belies any close relationship. Chungthangi can be extracted from domestic Markhor goats in Ladakh and Tibet. The Grigentana goat in Sicily is believed to have been bred by Markhor Animal, as is the mulberry goat in Ireland. A herd of about 200 Kashmiri cattle on the Great Orme Limestone headland in Wales is derived from the Windsor Great Park herd. Queen Victoria.

Gut samples from Markhor and Daisy goats indicate intense competition for food between the two species. Competition for food among herbivores is believed to have led to a significant decline in perennial fodder production in the Himalayan, Kurkoram and Hindu Kush mountain ranges. Domestic cattle have an advantage over wild herbivores because their herd density often drives their competitors away from the best grazing areas, and low forage availability negatively affects female fertility.

Threats

Hunting for meat for sustenance or trade in wildlife parts adds to a growing problem for wildlife managers in many countries. Poaching, with its indirect effects such as disturbance, increased escape distance and consequent reduction in effective habitat size, is one of the most important factors threatening the survival of the Markhor population. The most prominent types of poachers appear to be local residents, government border guards, who usually rely on local hunting guides, and Afghans crossing the border illegally. Overfishing splits the population into smaller islands where the rest of the population dies out. The markhor is considered a prized hunting trophy because of its spiral horns. The Pakistani government has issued several signals in an effort to save the species, which has seen a remarkable recovery since hunting began. Eventually, the continued decline of Markhor Animal population drew the attention of the international community.

hunt

Male Markhor Animal

In British India, the Markhor was considered one of the most difficult species of game, due to the danger of hunting and tracking it in the high mountain areas. Arthur Brinkman wrote in his book The Rifle in Cashmere that "A man who runs well could not wish for better game than to kill a deer or a markhor." Eliot Roosevelt wrote that he had two strokes in 1881, the first on July 8 and the second on August 1. Although it is illegal to hunt Markhor in Afghanistan, it is traditionally hunted in Nuristan and Laghman provinces and this trend may increase in times of war in Afghanistan. In Pakistan, hunting of markhor is legal as part of conservation: the Pakistani government offers expensive hunting licenses that allow the hunting of old markhor, which are no longer suitable for breeding. Markhor hunting is illegal in India, but they are hunted for food and for their horns, which are believed to have been successfully introduced to private game ranches in Texas. . Unlike mule deer, black deer, nilgai, caribou, and axis deer, markhors have not escaped in sufficient numbers to establish wild populations in Texas.

The International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources currently lists the markhor as a protected species due to its relatively small population size (2013 estimate: ~5,800 individuals), projected population decline and lack of population dependence. Enters as continuous existence. Maintain population levels. There are guarantees of protection for the Markhor family in Tajikistan. In 1973, two departments were created. The Dashtigm Strict Reserve (also known as Zapovednik in Russian) protects 20,000 hectares of Markhor. The area of Dashtagim Reserve (known as Zakasnik in Russian) is 53,000 hectares. Although these reserves exist to preserve and protect the Markhor population, regulations are not enforced, leading to large-scale poaching and habitat destruction. Although Markhor still faces constant threats, recent studies have shown great success in conservation practices. The approach began in 1900 when a hunter-gatherer persuaded a local fisherman to stop poaching the markhor. Local hunters created a reserve that influenced two other local organizations, Markhor and Mahfouz. The two organizations hope that their talks will not only protect but also allow them to use the Markhor species in a sustainable way. This approach has proven effective in protecting areas where enforcement and protection are lacking. In India, the markhor is a fully protected species (Schedule I) under the Jammu and Kashmir Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1978.

In culture

Markhor is the national animal of Pakistan. It was one of 72 animals included in the WWF coin collection in 1976. Markhor puppets are used in Afghan puppet shows called Buz Baz. Markhor Animal is also mentioned in a Pakistanianimated film called Allah Yar and the Legend of Markhor.

The science of etymology

The name is believed to be derived from the Persian word -mar (mar, "snake") and the suffix khor (khor, "-eater"), representing the animal's perceived ability to kill snakes. Corkscrew-like horns, somewhat reminiscent of snakes. In folklore, Markhor is believed to kill and eat snakes. After that, during chewing, a foamy substance comes out of the mouth, which falls on the ground and dries up. This frothy substance is sought after by the local population, who find it useful in extracting venom from snake bites.