The Takin is a large, stocky ungulate of the subfamily Caprinae that ranges across the eastern Himalayas, and it includes four named subspecies.
Researchers describe the Mishmi, golden, Sichuan, and Bhutan subspecies, and a 2022 study by Lin and colleagues suggested the genus likely comprises two species.
Adults stand roughly 97 to 140 cm at the shoulder and measure about 160 to 220 cm in body length, with horns present in both sexes that can reach about 30 cm, and sometimes up to 64 cm.
The animal has a long, shaggy coat that varies by subspecies from dark brown to golden, a large arched nose with expanded sinuses, and broad two‑toed hooves with pronounced dewclaws.
Takin live from forested valleys to alpine zones between about 1,000 and 4,500 meters in elevation, and they form small family groups in winter and herds of up to several hundred in summer.
They feed on leaves, grasses, bamboo shoots and flowers, visit mineral and salt licks, and show seasonal migrations, mating in July and August with a gestation near eight months and typically one young born each cycle.
Conservation Status And Threats
The takin is listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, and range countries report focused protections for the species.
China gives takins the highest legal protection under national law, India lists the species under Schedule I of the Wildlife Protection Act, and Bhutan protects the Bhutan takin under Schedule I of its Forests and Nature Conservation Act, as noted in species accounts.
The Bhutan takin population in Jigme Dorji National Park is estimated between 500 and 700 animals, according to range assessments cited in the Bhutan takin profile.
Major threats include overhunting, habitat destruction, livestock competition, and fragmentation from development, with documented illegal trade in horn sets observed in the Tachilek market surveys between 1999 and 2006, according to market studies.
Conservation efforts include captive breeding, telemetry studies and reserve creation. San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance and partners carried out radio‑telemetry studies and a captive breeding program, and The Nature Conservancy in China helped create the Laohegou Land Trust Reserve to connect habitat, as reported in conservation summaries.
Local problems such as feral herding dogs and road impacts are reported in Bhutan studies, and researchers and managers call for improved herding practices and wildlife‑friendly infrastructure to reduce disturbances.
