Bhutan - Lindsay Brown [67]
The takin continues to befuddle taxonomists. The famous biologist George Schaller called it a ‘beestung moose’. In summer, takins migrate to subalpine forests and alpine meadows above 3700m and graze on the luxuriant grasses, herbs and shrubs found there. By migrating they escape the leeches, mosquitoes, horseflies and other parasites of the monsoon-swept lower valleys. This is also the time when the vegetation in the alpine region is richest in nutrition. Thus, takins gain several kilograms of storable energy: some males become massive, weighing as much as 1 tonne or more. Summer is also the time when takins mate. The gestation period is between seven and eight months, and young – usually a single calf – are born between December and February. These are black, in contrast to the adults with golden yellow and brownish coat. Sometimes the Himalayan black bear will follow a pregnant female takin and immediately after she has given birth, chase her away and eat the calf.
In late August takins start their slow descent to the lower valleys where the herds begin to break up. They arrive at the winter grazing grounds in temperate broadleaf forests between 2000m and 3000m by late October.
Hunting is banned by law and poaching is limited since there is no high economic value placed on the body parts of the takin. In traditional medicine, however, the horn of the takin, consumed in minute amounts, is supposed to help women during a difficult childbirth.
The major threats that the takin faces are competition with domestic yaks for food in the alpine regions and loss of habitat in the temperate regions. In the temperate zones, logging may have detrimental effects on the takin’s survival.
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The red panda is known in Bhutan as aamchu donkha and is most commonly found near Pele La, Thrumshing La and parts of the Gasa district. It is bright-chestnut coloured, about 50cm long, including its bushy, banded tail, and has a white face. The red panda is nocturnal, sleeping in trees during the day and coming to the ground to forage on bamboo and raid birds’ nests at night.
BIRDS
Each year Bhutan’s extensive bird list grows longer, a consequence of Bhutan’s rich biodiversity and the small amount of systematic birding that has been done in the kingdom. Nevertheless, over 600 species have been recorded and bird-watching tours are extremely popular.
Bhutan is rightly famous for its wintering populations of the vulnerable black-necked crane (Click here). Less well known are the winter populations, mainly as solitary individuals, of the endangered white-bellied heron, for which there were about 15 records in 2005, in the vicinity of Punakha and Wangdue Phodrang.
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THE BLACK-NECKED CRANE
The rare and endangered black-necked crane occupies a special place in Bhutanese hearts and folklore. Its arrival every autumn from Tibet inspires songs and dances; it usually heralds the end of the harvesting season and also the time when farm families start migrating to warmer climates.
Many legends and myths exist about the bird, which the Bhutanese call thrung thrung karmo. Wetlands of the high mountain valleys of Phobjikha, Bomdeling and Gaytsa serve as the winter habitat for 400 to 500 birds. Like other cranes, these have an elaborate mating ritual, a dance in which pairs bow, leap into the air and toss vegetation about while uttering loud bugling calls. It can be difficult to distinguish the sexes because the coloration is so similar, but the females are slightly smaller. The crane’s preferred delicacies include fallen grain, tubers and insects.
The world’s entire population of 5600 to 6000 black-necked cranes breed in Tibet and Ladakh. As well as in Bhutan, they winter in south-central Tibet and northeastern Yunan province in China.
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The Royal Society for Protection of Nature (www.rspn-bhutan.org) is committed to conservation, education and inspiring the Bhutanese populace. RSPN annually monitors the endangered black-necked cranes in