Extinct Himalayan Serow spotted in Spiti Valley

The Himalayan Seow, which was believed to be extinct, was spotted recently at Hurling village in Spiti Valley, Himachal Pradesh. 

The believed-to-be extinct species was spotted by a team of wildlife experts of Wildlife Division Spiti, who captured few images of the animal.

The images are the first photographic record of this species in the cold deserts of Spiti.

Himachal Pradesh: Extinct Himalayan Serow spotted at Hurling village in Spiti.

Images were captured by a team of Wildlife Division Spiti & it is the first photographic record of this species in the cold desert.

(Pics source: Wildlife Division, Spiti) pic.twitter.com/LB9dRY3MAH

— ANI (@ANI) December 12, 2020

Key Highlights

•The Himalayan Seow was believed to be extinct. It is included in Schedule one of the Wildlife Extinction. 

•The re-occurrence of the species has excited the wildlife experts and environmentalists in the region. 

•As per reports, the reportedly extinct goat antelope was seen by many belonging to the village of Hurling.

•A team from the wildlife department of Spiti was able to finally capture a few images of the animal after the news of its sighting spread. 

What is Himalayan Serow?

The Himalayan Serow is a cross between a cow, goat, donkey and a pig. It is a medium-sized animal with dark hair, a thick neck, large heard and long mule-like ears. 

The Himalayan serow is a subspecies of the mainland serow and is also called Capricornis sumatraensis thar. It is native to the Himalayan region.

The species are herbivores and are typically found at altitudes between 6,500 to 13,000 feet. They are generally known to be in the central, eastern and western Himalayas.

Background

The Himalayan Serow is included in Schedule one of the Wildlife Extinction and in the near-threatened category by the International Union for Conservation for Nature (IUCN).