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Tadjik Markhor
On May 5, 2009, a pair of Tadjik markhor was born at the Los Angeles Zoo. The brother and sister duo can currently be seen alongside their parents in the markhor exhibit near the Sumatran tigers.
Showing off their innate climbing abilities, these rambunctious twins have been enjoying their rocky habitat. Great climbers since day one, markhor in the wild live at elevations ranging from 1,900 to 13,000 feet. They’re perfectly adapted for hiking through the landscapes of their native environment which include steep gorges, rocky areas, scrub forests and grassy meadows.
Native to the arid Himalaya Mountains of northern Afghanistan and southern Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan, this species is critically endangered. Markhors are threatened because of habitat loss resulting from competition with humans, degradation of habitat by livestock and aggressive hunting.
In Afghanistan, the markhor has been hunted nearly to extinction and its status is indeterminate as there are no protected areas for this animal and no conservation measures have been taken.
In Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan the markhor population has improved because these countries have removed livestock from the markhors’ ranges and have attempted to control illegal hunting.
In the wild, markhor feast on grass, herbs and shoots in the summer months. When these treats are no longer available, they forage for leaves, twigs and acorns. Since markhor obtain water from the plants they eat, they can go for long periods of time without needing to drink water.
Typically, markhor will have one or two offspring sometime between April and early June. When they reach adulthood, the males weigh 176 to 242 pounds, more than twice what the females weigh. As they mature, the males develop tightly curled, corkscrew like horns that may reach 33 to 57 inches in length. In contrast, the females’ horns will only reach eight to 10 inches in length and while they twist in the same manner, they are thinner and flatter.
Don’t miss these amazing animals at the L.A. Zoo!
