Takin - Budorcas taxicolor: a gazelle-like ox
Takin in the Wolong Nature Reserve Choushuigou, Sichuan Province, China
Much less well-known but certainly very impressive looking is the Takin which a beautiful golden-haired ox with a big, broad nose.
“Takins can weigh several hundred kilograms,” says Li Ning, “and they are very big and strong. And they are very beautiful, I have to say. When you see one with the sun shining on its golden hair and it’s standing there like a General, you cannot describe how powerful it looks!”
Takins usually live in groups and feed on the woody plants and bamboos of Qinling’s mountain forests. But sadly, a lot of poachers still hunt them for their meat. “They know the takin is endangered and therefore a protected species,” says Li Ning, “ but still, people set snares and traps to kill them and sell their meat, which is very, very sad.”
“Takins can weigh several hundred kilograms,” says Li Ning, “and they are very big and strong. And they are very beautiful, I have to say. When you see one with the sun shining on its golden hair and it’s standing there like a General, you cannot describe how powerful it looks!”
Takins usually live in groups and feed on the woody plants and bamboos of Qinling’s mountain forests. But sadly, a lot of poachers still hunt them for their meat. “They know the takin is endangered and therefore a protected species,” says Li Ning, “ but still, people set snares and traps to kill them and sell their meat, which is very, very sad.”
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