Srinagar, Dec 7
A large wild Capra goat called Markhor was found on Saturday in Jammu & Kashmir’s Baramulla district. Officials of the Wildlife Protection Department started efforts to catch and relocate the rare animal.
Markhor (capra falconeri) is a large wild goat species native to South and Central Asia mainly Pakistan, the Karakoram mountain range, parts of Afghanistan and the Himalayas. It is listed on the IUCN red list as "near threatened" since 2015.
Villagers in Noorkha of Boniyar area in Uri tehsil of Baramulla district found the wild goat near a waterfall this morning.
The villagers promptly contacted the local police station and a team from Wildlife Protection Department came to capture and relocate the rare animal.
Villagers said that the wild goat is not found in the area and it has most likely crossed the line of control (LoC) from Pakistan and entered Baramulla district.
Markhor is the national animal of Pakistan where it is commonly called the screw-horned goat. The word ‘Markhor’ comes from Pashto and classical Persian language which means snake-eater.