{"id":1087,"date":"2025-05-08T17:53:19","date_gmt":"2025-05-08T17:53:19","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/guruapproved.com\/?p=1087"},"modified":"2025-05-13T13:24:28","modified_gmt":"2025-05-13T13:24:28","slug":"sichuan-takin-flourish-at-chinas-wild-panda-nature-reserve","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/guruapproved.com\/index.php\/2025\/05\/08\/sichuan-takin-flourish-at-chinas-wild-panda-nature-reserve\/","title":{"rendered":"Sichuan Takin Flourish at China\u2019s Wild Panda Nature Reserve"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Nat Hab Expedition Leader Eddy Savage\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

What if I told you that deep in the foothills of the Himalayas, in Sichuan Province, China, lived an animal whose closest living relative is the muskox? Seems a bit out of place for a sub-tropical latitude, right? Well, it\u2019s true. The Sichuan takin<\/a>\u2014a beautiful, partly blonde-colored goat antelope\u2014dwells in the rugged mountains at the edge of the Tibetan Plateau.<\/span><\/p>\n

Taking Stock of Takin: Easier Said Than Done<\/h2>\n

An unknown number of these subspecies are found in the Min and Qionglai Mountains of Sichuan Province, China, but estimates suggest that there are around 5,000 animals. There have been a few population studies, but efforts are usually stymied given the remoteness and ruggedness of the terrain they live in. Their habitat consists of steep mountains with diverse plant life and plenty of under-story bamboo. <\/span><\/p>\n

The <\/span>Sichuan takin\u00a0is currently considered Vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List. A lot of information about\u00a0<\/span>the animal’s behavior was documented by researchers in the 1970s who were studying wild giant pandas<\/a> in a newly established Wild Panda Nature Reserve. We visit one of these highly protected and well-managed reserves on The Wild Side of China: A Nature Odyssey<\/a>. And, under the umbrella of the giant panda, the Sichuan takin has flourished in this reserve.<\/span><\/p>\n

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All About Sichuan <\/span>Takin<\/h2>\n

Looking at these giants, I often imagine them wearing the long fur coat that muskox wear. Muskox and takin have many similarities: body structure, face shape and horns. And although the takin’s habitat is much different from its Arctic counterpart, its diverse, plant-based diet remains similar.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Sichuan<\/p>\n

\u00a9 Eddy Savage<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Lush vegetation is an important part of the takin’s habitat, which includes some of the most biodiverse regions outside of tropical rainforests. A takin eats at least 150 plant species within its habitat\u2014and likely even more!<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Sichuan<\/p>\n

\u00a9 Eddy Savage<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Typical groupings of takin see females with young at higher altitudes for most of the year. Male takin, like the one below, tend to stay more solitary or in small groups at lower elevations. They will re-join the herd during the breeding months (summer).<\/p>\n

\"Sichuan<\/p>\n

\u00a9 Eddy Savage<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

The scene below is typical of the takin\u2019s habitat. You\u2019re likely to find them in steep mountainous regions where, within one valley system, you have sub-tropical deciduous forests, temperate coniferous forests and alpine meadows. This provides a year-round food source and a reprieve from the humid heat that permeates the valley bottoms during summertime.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\u00a9 Eddy Savage<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

This moment was one to remember! We spotted a couple takin on the hillside as we entered the nature reserve. We watched for a while, and a couple more appeared. After a while, we finally decided to get in our vehicle and continue toward our hotel for the night.<\/p>\n

But just as we were about to roll on, I looked over and spotted the rest of the herd emerging from the forest. There was almost no light left in the day, and so I captured a quick, albeit blurry, shot of the whole herd. So cool!<\/p>\n

\"Sichuan<\/p>\n

\u00a9 Eddy Savage<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

The typical lifespan of takin in the wild is 16 to 18 years. Their harsh existence includes frequent climbing of steep mountainsides, river crossings and challenging winter weather. Here, we see a baby takin that had to follow its mother across one of the mountain streams.<\/p>\n

\"Sichuan<\/p>\n

\u00a9 Eddy Savage<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

And here is the mother, who had just crossed the stream ahead of her baby. After a 236-day gestation, a 10\u201315 pound takin is born. The baby will follow mom from 3 days old until upwards of a year. Occasionally, juveniles will stay with mom even once she\u2019s had another baby.<\/p>\n

\"Sichuan<\/p>\n

\u00a9 Eddy Savage<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Understory bamboo is an important part of the takin’s habitat. In China, initiatives to protect vast swaths of bamboo forests for giant pandas in the 1970s and 1980s also protected thousands of square miles for Sichuan takin. Fifty years on, strongholds for takin are still in these Wild Panda Nature Reserves.<\/p>\n

\"Sichuan<\/p>\n

\u00a9 Eddy Savage<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Cliffs throughout the region offer necessary minerals for takin. These saltlicks make up an important part of their habitat. In the past, this made takins susceptible to poaching efforts. Today, there is much greater protection for these animals, so saltlicks don\u2019t pose the same threat as before.<\/p>\n

\"Sichuan<\/p>\n

@ Eddy Savage<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

The Sichuan takin is a powerful animal. Standing 3 to 4 feet tall at the shoulder and weighing upwards of 600 pounds, these animals easily navigate the rugged mountains. As they age, they tend to spend more time at the bottom of valleys to conserve energy. Often, we\u2019ll see older animals, like the one below, close to creeks day after day.<\/p>\n

\"Sichuan<\/p>\n

\u00a9 Eddy Savage<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Want to see Sichuan takin in the wild? Explore our 12-day Wild Side of China<\/a> nature odyssey or our 14-day Wild China Photo Expedition<\/a>!<\/strong><\/p>\n

The post Sichuan Takin Flourish at China\u2019s Wild Panda Nature Reserve<\/a> first appeared on Good Nature Travel Blog<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Nat Hab Expedition Leader Eddy Savage\u00a0 What if I told you that deep in the foothills of the Himalayas, in Sichuan Province, China, lived an animal whose closest living relative is the muskox? Seems a bit out of place for a sub-tropical latitude, right? Well, it\u2019s true. The Sichuan […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1089,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1087","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-wildlife"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/guruapproved.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1087","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/guruapproved.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/guruapproved.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/guruapproved.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/guruapproved.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1087"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"http:\/\/guruapproved.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1087\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1100,"href":"http:\/\/guruapproved.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1087\/revisions\/1100"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/guruapproved.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1089"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/guruapproved.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1087"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/guruapproved.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1087"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/guruapproved.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1087"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}