The Himalayan goral (Naemorhedus goral ) is a bovid species native to the Himalayas. It is listed as Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List because the population is thought to be declining significantly due to habitat loss and hunting for meat.
The Himalayan goral is a small ungulate found across the Himalayas. It has a gray or gray-brown coat with tan legs, lighter patches on its throat, and a single dark stripe along its spine. Males have short manes on their necks. Both males and females have backward-curving horns which can grow up to 18 cm (7.1 in) in length.
Himalayan gorals are found in the forests of the Himalayas including Bhutan, northern India including Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh, Nepal, southern Tibet, and possibly western Myanmar. They inhabit most of the southern slopes of the Himalayas from Jammu and Kashmir to eastern Arunachal Pradesh.
Himalayan gorals are social animals. They often form small bands of 4 to 12 individuals, although they are also known to pair off or, especially in the case of older males, be solitary. They are crepuscular, being most active in the early morning and late evening. After a morning meal, they often drink and then rest on a rock ledge through the day. Himalayan gorals are very agile and can run quickly. Due to their coloration, they are very well camouflaged, so that they are extremely difficult to sight them, especially since they spend much of the day lying still. Himalayan gorals have various predators and when sensing danger, they will vocalize with hissing or sneezing sounds.
Himalayan gorals are herbivores (folivores, graminivores). Their diet typically includes leaves, grasses, herbs, roots, shoots, and twigs.
Himalayan gorals are polygynous; this means that males mate with more than one female. The breeding season takes place between November and December. Females give birth after a gestation period of 170-218 days, usually to a single kid. The young are weaned at 7 or 8 months of age and become reproductively mature when they are around 3 years old.
The population of this species is thought to be declining significantly due to habitat loss. Local people also hunt them for meat, hides, and wool.
The IUCN Red List and other sources don’t provide the number of the Himalayan goral total population size. Currently, this species is classified as Near Threatened (NT) on the IUCN Red List and its numbers today are decreasing.
