Context: The Kedarnath Wildlife Division plans to regulate human activity and conduct intensive cleanliness drives in Uttarakhand’s high-altitude bugyals, after tourist waste and feeding were found to be altering the foraging behaviour of Himalayan tahr.
About The Himalayan Tahr:
What it is?
- A large, specialized wild caprid (even-toed ungulate) adapted to precipitous alpine terrain, scientifically known as Hemitragus jemlahicus and referred to locally in Uttarakhand as ‘Karth’.
Habitat & Geographical Distribution:
- Native Range: Endemic to the Himalayas, distributed across northern India (Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and Sikkim), Nepal, northern Pakistan, and southern Tibet (China).
- Altitudinal Zone: Prefers rugged wooded cliffs, rocky slopes, and alpine grasslands (bugyals) typically between 3,500 and 4,500 metres, descending seasonally to mixed oak and conifer forests down to 2,500 metres during harsh winters.
IUCN Red List: Near Threatened (NT) due to illegal poaching, fragmented remnant native populations, and livestock competition.
Key Characteristics:
- Cold-Resilient Dual Coat & Winter Mane: Possesses a dense, two-layered reddish-brown to dark brown fleece that shields it from sub-zero mountain winds; mature males develop a conspicuous, thick neck-and-shoulder mane during winter.
- Backward-Curving Horns: Both males and females grow smooth, keel-shaped horns that curve backward and inward, reaching up to 46 cm in adult males, used for dominance head-butts and anti-predator defense.
- Extreme Sexual Dimorphism: Adult males weigh significantly more (90 to 180 kg) than adult females (averaging ~60 kg), exhibiting much broader neck structures and pronounced coloration differences.
- Specialized Hoof Morphology: Equipped with flexible, rubbery concave hoof pads bordered by hard, sharp outer keratin rims that act like climbing crampons, enabling rapid maneuvering on near-vertical cliffs to evade predators.
- Strictly Herbivorous & Water-Conserving: Feeds primarily on alpine grasses, sedges, bamboo shrubs, and herbs, obtaining much of its required moisture from morning dew and frost clinging to cliff vegetation.
