Our next stop in our notebooking safari across Asia takes us to Tajikistan. If you’re new to the notebooking safari, visit our first stop here.

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Have you ever heard of a markhor? No, I didn’t think so. That’s the animal I want to show you on our safari today. Are you ready?

There, do you see over there, on those high rocks, the animal that looks kind of like a goat with long, twisted horns? That’s the markhor. The markhor is a type of wild goat that lives in Central Asia and a few other places nearby. You can spot them in Afghanistan, Pakistan, parts of India, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. But there aren’t a lot of them left in the wild—maybe only 2,500 or less full-grown adults.

The one we can see from here is a male; the female’s horns don’t grow nearly as long. The markhor love to climb high in the mountains—which comes in pretty handy here in Tajikistan—to stay away from its predators. It eats mostly grass, leaves, and twigs.

One of the things I like the most about the markhor, besides its horns, is the fact that its coat changes color during the year. In the summer time, it is short and reddish-grey. By the time winter sets in, it is longer and darker. I think it’s amazing how God makes sure each type of animal has what it needs to survive in all the wild places it may go, don’t you?

Using the information on this page, answer the following questions:

True or False:

1. The markhor loves to play in the deep snow.

2. The markhor eats up to 8-12 hours a day.

3. Most markhor are born in November.

Research challenge: As a member of the Bovidae family, what are some of the animals the markhor is related to?

For a free downloadable copy of the entire Asian animals notebooking safari series (31 units total) plus a notebooking page for each one, sign up below.