
3 March 2021.
Introduction:
Serow, a Himalayan mammal is the newest creatures that has been spotted in Assam.
About Himalayan Serow
- The Himalayan serow looks like somewhere between a goat and an antelope.
- It was spotted in the Manas Tiger Reserve which is having the area of 950-sq. km on December 3, 2020.
- It was spotted close to the border with Bhutan in Manas’s Bansbari- Mathanguri Forest.
- This animal is a high-altitude dweller which is usually found around 2000 to 4000 metres above the sea level.
- The Himalayan serow is a subspecies of mainland serow.
- The species is native to the Himalayas. The Himalayan serow was previously considered its own species as Capricornis thar.
- It is mostly blackish along with the flanks, hindquarters.
- The upper legs of the species are rusty red in colour while the lower legs are whitish. The specie has been listed in CITES Appendix I.
Mainland Serow
- The scientific name of the mainland serow is Capricornis sumatraensis.
- The serow is a native to the China, Himalayas and Southeast Asia.
- The serow is having the guard hairs on its coat which are bristly or coarse.
- The hairs cover the layer of fur which is closest to the skin of serow.
- The animal also has a mane which runs from horns to middle of dorsal aspect serow in between the scapulae that covers the skin.
- The males are characterised by the horns and are light-coloured.
- It is six inches in length and curve slightly towards to the back of the animal.
- The mainland serow grow up to six feet long.
- The adult serow weighs around 150 kg.
Manas National Park
- It is a national park which is UNESCO Natural World Heritage site.
- It is also a Project Tiger reserve, an elephant reserve and the biosphere reserve.
- It is located in the state of Assam in the foothills of Himalaya.
- The reserve is in contiguous with Royal Manas National Park of Bhutan.
- It is known for its rare and endangered endemic wildlife including hispid hare, Assam roofed turtle, pygmy hog and golden langur.