The markhor (Capra falconeri) is referred to as a “screw-horn” or screw-horned goat in English. It is the national animal of Pakistan. Markhor is a large wild Capra (goat) species native to Central and South Asia, mainly within Pakistan, India, the Karakoram range, parts of Afghanistan, and the Himalayas. Unfortunately, its population has significantly decreased over the past few decades. Thus, Markhor has been classified on the IUCN Red List as Near Threatened since 2015. Markhor’s meaning is “snake eater.”
This refers to the ancient belief that the markhor aggressively kills and consumes snakes. This regional story is thought to have originated from the “snake-like” shape of the male markhor’s horns, which twist and curl like a snake, potentially prompting ancient peoples to identify them with snakes. The size of Markhor is about 26 to 45 inches at the shoulder, 52 to 73 inches long, and weighs from 32 to 110 kilograms.
Markhor is adapted to mountainous terrain and can be found between 800 and 3,600 meters in elevation. They typically inhabit shrub forests made up primarily of oaks and pines. According to some traditional stories, markhor’s devour and kill serpents. After that, as it is chewing the cud, a substance that resembles froth emerges from its mouth, lands on the ground, and dries. The locals are drawn to this foam-like substance because they think it can be used to remove snakebite poison.
Markhor was regarded as one of the most difficult game species in British India due to the risk of tracking and following them in steep, rocky terrain. Some scholars have suggested that some domestic goat breeds descended from the markhor. Some people believe that the Angora goat is a direct descendant of the Markhor from Central Asia. However, some others believe that Markhor may have been the ancestor of some Egyptian goat breeds. The principal predators of the markhor are the Himalayan wolf, brown bear, European lynx, and snow leopard.
There are rumors that the golden eagle feeds on young Markhor. The markhor uses its good vision and acute sense of smell to identify potential predators in the area. Markhor are very aware of their environment and always on the lookout for predators; in open places, they can quickly identify and avoid these threats. The Markhor diets shift seasonally. However, in the spring and summer, they graze gracefully, but turn to browsing in the winter, sometimes standing on their hind legs to reach high branches. Their alarm call closely resembles the bleating of domestic goats.
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