There are three types of Tahr in the world. These are Arabian Tahr, Nilgiri Tahr, and Himalayan Tahr. The Himalayan Tahr is a species of wild goat and is specially adapted to life on the rugged mountain slopes and montane grasslands of the Himalayas. In the Himalayas, Tahr inhabits mountainous habitat, commonly between 2,500 meters to 5,000 meters depending on seasons and also the time of day. In winter they tend to occupy lower slopes, avoiding deep snow and frequenting southern cliffs where the vegetation is more available.

General Characteristics

The dense, wooly winter coat is reddish to dark brown and has a thick undercoat. With their winter coat, males also grow a long, shaggy mane around the neck and shoulders which extends down the front legs. After the spring molt, the coat is much shorter and lighter in color. The legs are relatively short, and the head is proportionally small. The eyes are large, and the ears are small and pointed. The horns are triangular in cross-section and are found in both seasons. They curve upward, backward, and then inwards, to a maximum length of 45cm/ 18 inches, and are usually larger in males.

Ontogeny and Reproduction

Gestation Period: 7 Months
Young Per Birth: 1, rarely 2.
Weaning: At about 6 months.
Sexual Maturity: At 2-3 Years.
Life span: Usually 10 years, and double on captivity.

Ecology and Behavior

It is most active during the early morning and late afternoon. Himalayan Tahr spends the middle of the day resting among rocks and vegetation. Very shy and wary, they are different to approach, especially from downhill. When startled, they flee with confidence, speeding sure-footed across the uneven terrain of the habitat. The Himalayan Tahr may migrate down the mountain during the winter, resting in denser cover at lower altitudes as protection from the elements. When competing for freedom privileges, males lock horns and attempt to throw each other off balance, although compared to other ungulates this is done in a somewhat halfhearted manner.

Rutting Behavior

The rutting of the Himalayan Tahr starts in late November and continues until mid-January. During the rut male use multiple strategies for mating as tending, blocking and coursing.

Habitat

In the Himalayas, Tahr inhabits mountainous habitat, commonly between 2,500 meters to 5,000 meters depending on the season and also the time of day. In winter they tend to occupy lower slopes, avoiding deep snow and frequenting southern cliffs where the vegetation is more exposed and available for grazing or browsing. In New Zealand they live on grassy mountain slopes and scrubland from 750 to 2250 meters in elevation, preferring the north-facing slopes which are sunnier and accumulate less snow in the winter.

Muntjac is also called Barking Deer and well as Ratuwa in Nepali. Muntjac is the most numerous deer species. It has a short but very soft, thick, dense coat, especially those living in cooler regions. The coloration of the coat changes from dark to brown to yellowish and grayish-brown depending on the season. The Muntjac’s coat is golden tan on the dorsal side and white on the ventral side of the body, the limbs are dark brown to reddish-brown, and the face is dark brown. However, the ears have very little hair which barely covers them. Male Muntjacs have antlers that are very short about 1-2 inches, usually consisting of only two or three points at the most, and protrude from long body hair-covered pedicles on the forehead. Females have tufts of fur and small bony knobs where the antlers are located in Males. Males also have slightly elongated upper canines about an inch long that curve slightly outward from the lips and have the capacity to inflict serious injury upon other animals or to other members of the population while exhibiting aggression. Males are generally larger than females. The body length of muntjacs varies from 35-53 inches wide and their height ranges from 15-26 inches tall.

Habitat

The Muntjac is among the most widespread but least known of all mammals in South Asia. It is found in Nepal, Bangladesh, China, India, Srilanka, Pakistan, New Zealand, England, and other countries. This species is most densely located in south Asia. This species found at altitudes ranging from sea level up to 3000 meters. They are found in tropical and subtropical deciduous forests, grasslands, savannas, and scrub forests as well as in the hilly country on the slopes of the Himalayas.

Diet

Muntjac is classified as an omnivore. They are considered grazers with a diet consisting of grasses, ivy, prickly bushes, low-growing leaves, bark, twigs, herbs, fruit, sprouts, seeds, tender shoots, bird eggs, and small warm-blooded animals. Their large canine teeth help in the process of retrieving and ingesting food.

Reproduction

Muntjac is a polygamous animal. Females sexually mature during their first to second years of life. These females are polyestrous, with each cycle lasting about 14 to 21 days and an estrus lasting for 2 days. The gestation period is six to seven months and they usually bear one offspring at a time but sometimes produce twins. Females usually give birthing dense growth so that they are hidden from the rest of the herd and predators. The young leave their mother after about six months to establish their own territory. Males often fight with one another for possession of a harem of females.

Behavior

Other than during the rut (mating season) and for the first six months after giving birth, the adults’ Muntjac is a solitary animal. Adult males, in particular, are well spaced, and marking grass and bushes with secretions from their periorbital glands appears to be involved in the acquisition and maintenance of territory. Males acquire territories their hooves against the ground and scraping the bark of trees with their lower incisors. These scent markers allow other muntjacs to know whether a territory is occupied or not. Males will often fight with each other over these territories, sufficient vegetation, and for primary preference over females when mating using their short antlers and an even more dangerous weapon, their canines. If a male is not strong enough to acquire his own territory, he will most likely become prey to a leopard or some other predator. During the time of the rut, territorial lines are temporarily disregarded and overlap while males roam constantly in search of a receptive female.

Muntjac is a highly alert, creature. When put into a stressful situation or if a predator is sensed, muntjacs will begin making a barking sound. Barking was originally thought of as a means of communication between the deer during mating season as well as an alert. However, in more recent studies it has been identified as a mechanism used dolly in alarming situations meant to cause a predator to realize that it has been detected and more elsewhere or to reveal itself. The barking Deer mechanism is used more frequently when visibility is reduced and can last for over an hour regarding one incident. Muntjac exhibit both diurnally and nocturnally.

Wild Boar also known as wild pig, is a species of the pig genus, part of the biological family sundae found in the dense Jungle of Nepal. The species includes many subspecies. It is the wild ancestor of the domestic pig, an animal with which it freely hybridizes.

Nepal offers extreme Wild Boar hunting in rugged woods. The trophies are really nice. Shoulder height 30-43 inches. Weight 68-180 kg, sometimes more. A large pig has relatively thin legs. The coat of dense, bristly hair is brownish-gray in color, sometimes with cheek whiskers and a neck mane. There are no wart-like skin growths on the face. Almost no difference between the female and the male, though smaller and with much smaller tusks. Lives in family groups, though old boars might be solitary. Its sense of smell is very good, hearing good, and fair eyesight. It is a fine game animal, alert and wary, and rather dangerous at close quarters.

Description of the Wild Boar

Wild boars are a typical domestic pig shape with a long, blunt snout, small eyes, and large ears. They are more long-legged and more powerful than domestic pigs. They may have a small hump on the shoulder.

Wild boars have a very coarse coat with thick, short hairs, and some sub-species have a tall, erect mane that can extend down the entire length of the body. They are usually brown but can appear rusty-red or black. Depending on the sub-species, both males and females may have tusks, although these are almost always longer in males.

Habitat of the Wild Boar

Wild boar lives in a wide range of habitats, all of which usually include a water source and thick brush for protection from predators. The live-in scrublands, grasslands, wetlands, rain forests, temperate forests, and savannas.

Distribution of the Wild Boar

Wild boars are possibly one of the most widely distributed mammals in the world. This is because humans have moved them around the world for food, but many of them have escaped and started wild breeding populations.

Diet of the Wild Boar

Wild boars are omnivores, and it has been said they will eat almost anything. Their diet includes nuts, acorns, seeds, roots, fruit, rodents, and small reptiles.

Wild Boar and Human Interaction

Wild boars are farmed and used for hunting. Populations of boars mostly cause immense problems because of their digging (rooting) behavior, which can be extremely destructive to the environment. They dig up gardens, make ground unusable for farming, dig holes inroads, and have even dug up graveyards.

Domestication

It is believed that the domestication of wild boar began in China long ago. They are relatively easily farmed and bred, and there are now 16 sub-species, all of which can be considered domesticated.

Is Wild Boar a good pet?

These animals have been kept as pets when they have been obtained as piglets. However, they do not make good pets, because they are highly destructive and very difficult to train. They are also unexpectedly aggressive to the owners and other pets. Wild boars are very similar to domestic pigs, and their care is essentially the same. They do need greater care when handling them because of their aggression, and they require stronger enclosures.

Reproduction of the Wild Boar

Females become sexually mature at about one year of age, with the male boars becoming mature a year later. Females will not usually mate until they are two years old, and males when they are four to five years old. Once they are ready to mate, males travel long distances to find a sounder of females. Once a sounder has been found, the male drives off the younger and weaker animals.

After a pregnancy of 4/5 months, the female gives birth to 6 – 14 piglets. These stay in the nest built by the female for approximately 10 days and are weaned after about three months.

Chinese belief about the Wild Boar

In the Chinese zodiac, the pig represents fortune, virtue, happiness, and honesty.