Himalayan Tahr - North America Introduced | Online Record Book Preview

Hemitragus jemlahicus

Tar del Himalaya (Sp), Himalaya Tahr (G), Tahr de l'Himalaya (F). The English derivation of the Nepali name for this animal may be spelled "tahr" or "thar." Neither is "correct," but "tahr" is preferred by most English-language publications.

DESCRIPTION (male) Shoulder height 36-40 inches (140-155 cm). Weight 200-220 pounds (90-100 kg).

A medium-sized, powerfully built animal with a full coat of hair and a shaggy mane around the neck and shoulders and extending to the knees. The overall coloration varies, but in most cases is a dark reddish-brown with a yellowish mane and a dark, sometimes indistinct, dorsal stripe. The horns (both sexes) are short, stout, laterally flattened, keeled in front and curved backward to a tapered point. The female is a good deal smaller than the male, lacks a mane and has smaller horns.

DISTRIBUTION Originally introduced some years ago on the unfenced Hearst Ranch in San Luis Obispo County, California. Escapees from the Hearst Ranch are believed to have established themselves in the Santa Lucia Mountains. Also on private ranches in several other U.S. states.

REMARKS One of the three species of tahrs, all native to Asia, the Himalayan tahr occurs in a narrow strip along the southern slopes of the Himalayas in Pakistan, India and Nepal, where it is an outstanding game animal.