The Markhor is one of Central and South Asia's most charismatic mountain ungulates. The species is scattered across the Karakoram Range, Afghanistan, and the western Himalayas. The Markhor, often called the “Screw-horned Goat” is the national animal of Pakistan. In Persian and Pahto languages, the word “mārkhor” translates as "snake-eater" highlighting the ancient belief that the markhor would actively kill and consume snakes.
The Markhor is currently listed as “Near Threatened” by the IUCN Red List. Across its range, hunting is the primary threat to the Markhor. In Pakistan, the Markhor falls victim to the lucrative trophy hunting business. Meanwhile, the hunting of markhor for bushmeat and traditional beliefs is still prevalent in Afghanistan and India, despite such practices being banned. In India, habitat loss and fragmentation due to climate change and livestock overgazing remain a major threat. LIke most mountain ungulates in the Himalayas, the markhor is not spared from the free-ranging dog menace in India.
In this episode of the Think Wildlife Podcast, Tanushree Srivastava and I discuss Markhor conservation in Kashmir. Tanushree, who is one of the leading scientists researching Himalaya’s ungulates, also spearheads Wildlife Trust of India’s “ Kashmir Markhor Recovery Project”.