Antelope-like Mammal from Bhutan Recorded at Lowest Elevation in Assam

Recently, The mainland serow has been recorded at the lowest elevation beyond Bhutan which is its natural home.

• Mainland serow is a mammal that appears somewhere between a goat and an antelope.
• It is found 96 metres above the mean sea level in western Assam’s Raimona National Park. 

Serows

• There are many species of the Serow and all of them are found in Asia.
  • Japanese serow
  • Red serow (found in eastern India, Bangladesh, and Myanmar)
  • Taiwan or Formosan serow.
  • The Himalayan serow, or Capricornis sumatraensis thar
    • It is restricted to the Himalayan region.
    • It is a subspecies of the mainland serow (Capricornis sumatraensis).

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The Himalayan serow

• Himalayan serow resembles a cross between a goat, a donkey, a cow, and a pig.
• Recognition: Official state animal of Mizoram.
• Inhabited areas: According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature, the mainland serow inhabits areas at altitudes of 200-3,000 metres.
  • The animal habitat is across the India-Bhutan border in Phibsoo Wildlife Sanctuary and the Royal Manas National Park in the Himalayan country.
  •  They are known to be found in eastern, central, and western Himalayas, but not in the Trans Himalayan region.
    • Trans Himalayan region located to the north of the Great Himalayas which consists of Karakoram, Ladakh, Zaskar and Kailash mountain ranges.
• Conservation Status:
• • IUCN Red List: Vulnerable
  • CITES: Appendix I
  • The Wildlife Protection Act, 1972: Schedule I

Challenges in Conservation

• Fragmented Distribution: The animal is distributed from the Himalayan belt to southern China and Sumatra but its populations are fragmented,  isolated, and rapidly declining due to poaching and habitat loss. 
• Lack of Data: The lack of reliable data on the species makes it difficult to come up with conservation actions to ensure long-term survival

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