Two shaggy brown takins grazing on a hillside. — Photo: Gerd Eichmann, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Takin

Budorcas taxicolor

A big, shaggy Himalayan mountain animal with a moose-like nose and horns like a wildebeest, most closely related to sheep.

🦓 Hoofed Mammals

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About the Takin

Takins live in the rugged Himalayan Mountains. They stand 3.3 to 4.5 feet tall, and males can weigh up to 770 pounds. Both males and females have shiny black horns up to 35 inches long. Their big nose warms cold air before it reaches the lungs, and their oily skin works like a raincoat. Each spring, herds of up to 300 climb above 14,000 feet, then move back down to forested valleys as it gets cold.^[1]

Quick facts

Scientific name: Budorcas taxicolor^[1]
Size: 3.3 to 4.5 feet tall at the shoulder; 5 to 7.3 feet long.^[1]
Weight: Females up to 616 pounds; males up to 770 pounds.^[1]
Diet: Herbivore. Grasses, leaves and other plants.^[1]
Habitat: Mountain forests and alpine meadows.^[1]
Where it lives: The Himalayan region of Asia.^[1]
Group life: Herds of up to 300 in spring; smaller groups in cooler months.^[1]
Conservation status: Vulnerable (IUCN Red List, assessed 2008).^[2]

Fun facts

A takin's big nose warms the air before it reaches the lungs.^[1]
Takins' oily skin acts like a natural raincoat.^[1]
Takins warn each other with a loud cough.^[1]

Vocabulary

sinus: An air-filled space inside the skull.
migrate: To travel from one region to another as the seasons change.
rut: The mating season of hoofed animals.
tree line: The height on a mountain above which trees can't grow.
vulnerable: A conservation label meaning a species faces a high risk of dying out in the wild.

See it in person

Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo and AquariumOmaha, Nebraska · Asian HighlandsSee this area on the zoo's website ↗

These zoos had this animal when we gathered our information, but animals sometimes move. Check the zoo's website or contact the zoo before you visit.

Sources

[1] San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance. “Takin.” https://animals.sandiegozoo.org/animals/takin (accessed 2026-10-02)
[2] IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. “Budorcas taxicolor (Takin).” https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/3160/9643719 (accessed 2026-10-02)

Facts last checked 2026-10-02.

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