The Kashmir markhor, Pir Panjal markhor, or flare-horned markhor (''Capra falconeri cashmiriensis'') is a possible

subspecies In biological classification, subspecies is a rank below species, used for populations that live in different areas and vary in size, shape, or other physical characteristics (morphology), but that can successfully interbreed. Not all species ...

of ''

Capra falconeri The markhor (''Capra falconeri'') is a large ''Capra'' species native to Central Asia, the Karakoram, and the Himalayas. It is listed on the IUCN Red List as Near Threatened since 2015. The markhor is the national animal of Pakistan, where i ...

'' endemic to the

Western Himalaya The Western Himalayas refers to the western half of the Himalayas, in northern Pakistan and northwestern India. It is also known as the Punjab Himalayas. Four of the five tributaries of the Indus River in Punjab (Beas, Chenab, Jhelum, and Ravi) r ...

s of

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

and

Pakistan Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 24 ...

. Many, including the

IUCN The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN; officially International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources) is an international organization working in the field of nature conservation and sustainable use of natu ...

, do not consider it a separate subspecies. These markhors are hunted as part of a community-based hunting program. In the past, according to a survey conducted by CITES and the WWF with help from the KPK wildlife department, only 300 Markhors were counted. Then government started the community-based hunting program and issued 4 hunting permits per year. It also required that 80% of the revenue collected through trophy hunting be donated to the local community, which encouraged locals to stop poaching it as a source of food. This hunting program succeeded and a more recent survey counted 4000 markhors. This animal is easier to hunt than the Astor markhor or Suleman markhor but the hunter must be in good physical condition. A 40 inch horn is considered representable.

Appearance

This wild goat-antelope's horns curve in a spiral pattern, unlike those of the

Astor markhor The Astor markhor or flare-horned markhor (''Capra falconeri falconeri'') is a subspecies of the markhor, native to Kashmir and northern Pakistan. To the west it reaches the easternmost parts of Afghanistan. The range of the Astor markhor is ver ...

, whose horns are large and flat horns, branching widely and then going up nearly straight with only a half turn, from a heavy, flat horns, twisted like a corkscrew.

Habitat

These animals live in dry places. In the winter, they do not live more than 2200 meters above sea level.

Behavior

For most of the year, the Kashmir markhor eats grassy plants. In the winter, when snow covers the grass, the Kashmir markhor will eat parts of trees and shrubs if it cannot find grass. It can eat pine needles, but not when it can find other foods. The Astor markhor also has a tendency to sexually segregate outside the mating season. The females are usually confined to cliffs with less forage coverage, while the males live in areas with a lot more forage coverage.

Threats

There are few Kashmir markhor left because human beings take

livestock Livestock are the domesticated animals raised in an agricultural setting to provide labor and produce diversified products for consumption such as meat, eggs, milk, fur, leather, and wool. The term is sometimes used to refer solely to animals ...

to graze in its preferred

habitat In ecology, the term habitat summarises the array of resources, physical and biotic factors that are present in an area, such as to support the survival and reproduction of a particular species. A species habitat can be seen as the physical ...

s. Others have killed the Kashmir markhor for its horns.

In culture

The nominate subspecies Kashmir markhor is the

State animal This is a list of animals that represent List of first-level administrative country subdivisions, first-level administrative country subdivisions. List by country Australia Brazil * See also List of Brazilian state birds Canada People's ...

Azad Kashmir Azad Jammu and Kashmir (; ), abbreviated as AJK and colloquially referred to as simply Azad Kashmir, is a region administered by Pakistan as a nominally self-governing entitySee: * * * and constituting the western portion of the larger Ka ...

Notes

References

Capra (genus) Mammals of Pakistan Azad Kashmir {{Taxonbar, from=Q40451355