Goats and Sheep1

Animal Spotlight

Wild Goats & Sheep in Night Safari

Himalayan Tahr A relative of the wild goat, it is found along the narrow strip of southern Himalayas, between altitudes of 2500 to 4400metres. ‘Tahr’ is from ‘thar’, the Nepalese name for this animal. The horns are triangular in cross-section and are found on both sexes. When startled, the Tahr flees with confidence, speeding sure-footedly across the uneven terrain of their habitat.

The Himalayan Tahr was introduced to New Zealand in 1904 for trophy hunting. This resulted in its rapid proliferation and the subsequent destruction of the islands’ natural fauna. Another feral herd is found in Table Mountain of South Africa – a result of a pair that escaped from a nearby zoo during the 1930s.

Markhor A mountain goat famous for the spectacular spiral horns which are prominent on the mature males. The horns of the dominant males grow to a record length of 1.5m along the curves. The name ‘Markhor’ is derived from the Persian words ‘mar’, a snake, and ‘khor’, eating. This is a very peculiar name, as these goats are strictly herbivorous.

The Markhor has now been exterminated from much of its former range by excessive hunting. Markhors are hunted for their meat and horns (as trophies or for traditional Chinese medicine). This effectively removes many of the healthy and dominant males, leading to a sharp decline in the population over some areas and extinction in others. The Markhor is a close relative of our spiral-horned domestic goat breeds.

Bharal (or Blue Sheep) ‘Bharal’ is a Hindi name meaning ‘Blue Sheep’. Interestingly, it is neither blue nor is it a sheep. The Bharal is more like a cross between a sheep and a goat and is larger than either. With absence of cover in the Himalayas, the Bharal remains motionless when approached. Once it has been noticed, it will scamper up to the precipitous cliffs, where it will once again freeze, 'melting' into the rock face.

When competing for breeding privileges, males will rear up and lock horns. They will attempt to throw each other off balance and off the edges of the cliffs. The Bharal is a very important food source for the highly endangered snow leopard of the Himalayas.

Mouflon The smallest of the wild sheep and is widely known as the wild ancestor of most modern domestic sheep breeds.

The horns of the ram grow in two symmetrical spirals. Those on the older rams may eventually form a whole ‘circle’. In a few unfortunate cases, the horns can grow into the head, eventually killing its owner!

The European Mouflon was quite wide spread in southern Europe. Today, only a few flocks are left on the islands of Corsica and Sardinia. The Asian Mouflon lives on Cyprus, in Turkey, and in the Mediterranean countries.

In today’s world, Mouflons are being bred in captivity for trophy hunting.

The Goat and the Chinese Zodiac

If you were born in the year 1931, 1943, 1955, 1967, 1979, 1991 or 2003, you have the Goat/Sheep as your Chinese Zodiac sign.

People born in the Year of the Goat are intelligent with a mind for business. Good natured and generous, they may have some anti-social tendencies. The Goat is also indecisive and too passive, yet possesses fantastic luck in life. Goats are also known to be forgiving and understanding about the faults of others. They dislike strict schedules and cannot take too much discipline or criticism. Fond of children and animals, they are close to nature. Goat people are possessed by mood swings and find it impossible to work under pressure. They also find it difficult to be objective.

Goat people are most compatible for marriage with those born in the years of the Rabbit or Pig.

They are not likely to form close associations with people born in the year of the Ox.

Famous people born in the years of the Goat include Chow Yun Fatt, Nicole Kidman and Mikhail Gorbachev.

The 12 animals in the Chinese Zodiac signs are (in running order) :

The Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog and Pig.

Reference Website to check out:

Origin of Domestic Goats - http://capra.iespana.es/capra/ingles/origen/origen.htm

Acknowledgements - General Facts and photos are taken from the various source websites linked to the names of the above animals.

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