Markhor - Capra falconeri

Three subspecies are recognized: Capra falconeri falconeri, C. f. heptneri, and C. f. megaceros. Other sources have recognized C. f. jerdoni and C. f. cashmiriensis.

Capra falconeri falconeri (Astor Markhor) (India, Afghanistan)
Capra falconeri heptneri (Bukharan markhor, Turkmenian or Tadjik markhor) (Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan)
Capra falconeri megacweos (Kabul markhor) (Afghanistan, Pakistan)

The name Markhor is derived from the Persian word ‘mar', meaning snake, and ‘khor', meaning ‘eating', which is sometimes interpreted to either represent the species ability to kill snakes, or as a reference to its corkscrewing horns, which are somewhat reminiscent of coiling snakes. Other sources speculate that the name arose as a corruption of the Pushto words ‘mar' (meaning snake) and ‘akhur' (meaning horn).
In Latin Capra means a she-goat. Falconeri is derived from Hugh Falconer (1808-1865) a Scottish palaeontologist and botanist in India.

The Markhor is the largest member of the goat family. Markhor stand 65 to 115 centimetres at the shoulder, 132 to 186 cm in length and weigh from 32 to 110 kilograms. The length of the tail is 8-20 cm. The coat is of grizzled, light brown to black colour, and is smooth and short in summer, while growing longer and thicker in winter. The fur of the lower legs is black and white.

Markhor are sexually dimorphic, with males having longer hair on the chin, throat, chest and shanks. Females are redder in colour, with shorter hair, a short black beard, and are maneless. Both sexes have tightly curled, corkscrew-like horns which close together at the head, but spread upwards towards the tips. The horns of males can grow up to 160 cm long, and up to 25 cm in females. They have a pungent smell, which surpasses that of the domestic goat.

Certain authors have postulated that the Markhor is the ancestor of some breeds of goats. Charles Darwin postulated that modern goats arose from crossbreeding Markhor with wild goats.

Habitat and behaviour

Markhor are adapted to mountainous terrain, and can be found between 600-3,600 meters in elevation. They avoid glaciers at high altitudes, and have become adapted to the warmer parts of the mountains. Capra sibirica inhabits the same mountains, but occupies more elevated and colder areas. Markhor avoid areas with deep snow; and leave areas that have had snowfall. They typically inhabit scrub forest made up of primarily of oaks (Quercus ilex), pines (Pinus gerardiana), and junipers (Juniperus macropoda). Markhor are diurnal, and are mainly active in the early morning and late afternoon. They rest during hot days. In winter, they feed with breaks during the day.

In summer, Markhor will lie in open places, in the shadow of mountains or under small shrubs, they never lie on rocks or flat places. In winter, they lie under roof-like cliffs, often near the foot of cliffs. Shelters always have a good view.
Their diet shift seasonally: in the spring- and summerperiods they graze, but turn to browsing in winter, sometimes standing on their hind legs to reach high branches. An adult female consumes 7-11 kg (fresh weight), a kid consumes 2,4-4 kg. Markhor need water in the summer, and visit watering places twice a day.

Markhor migrate seasonally between mountains; seasonal and daily movements of 2-5 km. To escape deep snow they move to southern slopes. In summer they are forced, by domestic sheep and dogs, to hide in gorges and on cliffs; in winter, they occupy pastures rich in vegetation.

Reproduction and Groupstructure

Markhor reach sexual maturity at 18-30 months. The mating season takes place in winter, during which, the males fight each other by lunging, locking horns and attempts to push each other off balance. In the period before rut, males roam over large areas to search for females. Later, males that are > 3,5 years old, form harems. Fierce battles between males occur. During rut males become thin.

The gestation period lasts 135-170 days, and usually results in the birth of one or two kids, though rarely three. Births occur from late April to early June. Kids are able to follow the mother from the second day of life. They suck until December, but stay with the mother for 2-3 years. In summer mostly groups of 3-5 males (maximum 10) or females with kids, but mixed groups or single males are also observed. There are mixed groups from the time of the rut and throughout the winter. Early in the season the males and females may be found together on the open grassy patches and clear slopes among the forest. During the summer, the males remain in the forest, while the females generally climb to the highest rocky ridges above.

Their alarm call closely resembles the bleating of domestic goats.

Wolf, Snow leopard, Leopard and Lynx.

The total global population is probably no more than 5,500 animals and data indicate that numbers of all three subspecies are declining.
The total population of the subspecies Tadjik markhor, is estimated to be about 700, and numbers are generally decreasing.

In the Khozratisho range and in Kushvoristone (Tadjikistan) there were around 350 markhor, but nothing is known about current population numbers in Tajikistan. A survey in Kugitang revealed that its western (Turkmenistan) slopes harbour over 250 markhor. In the early 1980s there were 400 in the whole of Uzbekistan according to the Uzbek Red Data Book (1983), but in 1994 there were only 290 estimated, with only 86 counted in the Surkhan nature reserve in may 1993.

• Afghanistan
• Pakistan
• Tajikistan
• Uzbekistan

Capra falconeri - Markhor: Historical distribution
Source: IUCN Red List of Threatened Species

Capra falconeri - Markhor: Current distribution
Source: IUCN Red List of Threatened Species

Markhor - current distribution.
Source: IUCN Red List of Threatened Species

Previously, the Tadjik markhor (Capra falconeri heptneri heptneri) occupied most of the mountains lying along the north banks of the Upper Amu Darya and the Pyanj rivers from Turkmenistan to Tadjikistan.

Markhor are native species in: Afghanistan; India; Pakistan; Tajikistan; Uzbekistan.

Markhor's restricted global distribution runs from the mountains north of the Amur Darya river inn Turkmenistan, east through Afghanistan and Pakistan, just into the extreme northwestern part of India. Within this area, markhor populations are usually very small (<100 individuals) and isolated from each other.

Today the Tadjik markhor is found only in two to three scattered populations in a greatly reduced distribution. It is limited to the region between lower Pyanj and the Vakhsh rivers near Kulyab in Tajikistan, and some may still exist in the Kugitangtau range in Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan.

In the Khazratishokh Range, the home range of Markhor occupies 7,000 ha; in the western part of the Darvaz Range 3,800 ha; in Kushvoriston 2,000 ha.

Habitat loss, degradation and fragmentation

Protected areas are generally inadequate in size and number. A small number of Tadjik markhor are hunted legally each year in Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. There is no evidence that moneys from these trophy hunting programs are used for markhor conservation.

The Tadjik subspecies is probably the most threatened of all Markhor. The main reason for the diminishing number of goats is the loss of habitat to domestic sheep and poaching.

Reportedly poached for meat and for horns, which are used for medicinal purposes in the large Asian market. Also threatened by habitat loss, disturbance and forage competition from domestic livestock, and transfer from diseases from livestock. The civil war has affected the population in the Babatagh mountains and has led to totally uncontrolled poaching.

Captive populations

A captive herd of Markhor is reported in Dashti Jum NR, and a captive breeding program is apparently underway in Ramit Nature reserve in the Gissar range (Tadjikistan), with about 10 animals released by 1989. However, the Islamic opposition set up its headquarters in Ramit NR during the civil war and ensuing battles did extensive damage to the ecology of the reserve. All Markhor currently held in Western zoos are considered to belong to this subspecies.

In 2006, 25 EAZA Zoo's/Wildlife parks kept 224 Turkmenian (Tadjik) markhor.

Markhor are still-hunted for food and for their horns, which are thought to have medicinal properties, in Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.

• Legal aspects of (Re-)introduction of large herbivores

• Large herbivores on the move
• Status report 2007 of the large herbivores of the palaeartic