The takin is the national animal of Bhutan and therefore it is worth mentioning. I've seen it 23 years ago in the zoo of Thimphu and to my recollection the view wasn't better than the picture. I'm not sure, but I think this zoo is now the Motithang Takin Preserve, a wildlife reserve area for takin [1]. I didn't visit this reserve, but I've seen the takin in the zoo of Darjeeling (see bpictures below).
The takin comes close to goats or sheep (recent mitochondrial research), but is much bigger. According to Wikipedia it weighs 300–350 kg in males against 250–300 kg in females [2]. But another source says it weighs about 200 kg on the average [3]. The scientific name is Budorcas taxicolor and there are four subtypes. In Bhutan, takin live in bamboo forests at altitudes of 1,000 to 4,500 m. The takin is listed as „vulnerable“ on the IUCN Red List and considered „endangered“ in Tibet [4]. the main threats come from humans: deforestation, hunting, and habitat fragmentation.
Legend has it that the takin has been created by Drukpa Kunley, also known as the devine madman [5], whom I'll introduce at another occasion. He then took the head of the goat and fixed it to the skeleton of a cow and then created the live takin [6].
Links an Annotations:
[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motithang_Takin_Preserve
[2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Takin
[3] https://www.nepalhighlandtreks.com/blog/takin-the-national-animal-of-bhutan.html
[4] I've been to the Yarlung region and could not see that there is a habitat for these animals though there might be nearer the boarder to Bhutan. The area is overgrazed by domestic animals.
[5] For those, who cannot wait: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drukpa_Kunley
[6] One should not believe everything, printed or not. We could make a campfire in my garden, sit there, and I tell you, how I've met the yeti.
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