Markhor

The mountain goat with corkscrew horns

The markhor's horns twist like a giant corkscrew and grow up to 1.5 metres! It lives on steep cliffs in the Kugitang Mountains of southern Uzbekistan. Markhors are such good climbers that they even climb trees to eat leaves!

The markhor (Capra falconeri) is the largest wild goat, living in the mountains of Central Asia (Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan). In Uzbekistan its main refuge is the Surkhan Reserve (Kugitang); it is in the national Red Book. Males' spiral horns reach 160 cm. The name is Persian for 'snake-eater' — legend says it kills snakes. Thanks to protection, its IUCN status improved from EN to NT in 2015; it is Pakistan's national animal.

Fun facts

• The markhor's name means 'snake-eater' in Persian.
• Males' horns are 1.6 m — as tall as an adult!
• A markhor can stand on a sheer cliff and even climb trees for leaves.