Species File: Exploring India’s biodiversity, one species at a time.
A few days ago, footage of a rare goat-antelope native to the eastern Himalayas, was captured in Tingda Reserve Forest, Sikkim. Often described as a cross between a goat and an ox, this ungulate is called the Mishmi takin. Forest department officials recorded the video during a routine patrolling exercise. Comprising eight individuals, this was also the largest herd recorded from the locality.
Known for its robust build, thick shaggy coat and large curved horns, the Mishmi takin (Budorcas taxicolor) is one of four subspecies of the takin. It is a large herbivorous ungulate native to the Eastern Himalaya. It feeds on grasses, leaves, bamboo shoots, and bark from alpine and deciduous plants such as rhododendrons, oaks, and willows, thus shaping vegetation and aiding seed dispersal.
The Mishmi takin thrives in dense forests and subalpine meadows, at elevations between 1,800 and 4,500 metres depending on the season. In India, it is found primarily in the Dibang Valley of Arunachal Pradesh — home of the Idu Mishmi, an indigenous community that has long coexisted with the takin — and parts of Sikkim. The species also occurs in southeastern Tibet, northwestern Yunnan, and northern Myanmar.
Population estimates based on anecdotal reports suggest only 220-300 individuals remain in India, while China hosts an estimated 3,500 individuals. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) lists the Mishmi takin as vulnerable due to declining populations. In India, it is protected under Schedule I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.
Highly sensitive and elusive, the species faces growing threats from habitat disturbance, road construction, human encroachment, and climate change. Research by the Wildlife Institute of India found that only about 11% of northern and eastern Arunachal Pradesh currently provides optimal habitat for the species.
In a story published in Mongabay-India in 2025, Chi Ma, an associate professor of mammal behaviour and diversity at Dali University, China, said: “Its survival depends on the integrity of humid montane forests, access to mineral licks, and the availability of uninterrupted migration corridors.”
Read more about the Mishmi takin in our story on the Mishmi takin and its changing habitat.
Banner image: A herd of Mishmi takin in Dibang Valley, Arunachal Pradesh. Image by T.R. Shankar Raman via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 4.0).
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