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Happy 'Niu' Year: Golden takin
Updated 14:33, 18-Feb-2021
CGTN

Called "Six Dissimilarities," the animal's back looks like a brown bear, its tilted hind legs are similar to spotted hyena while its limbs make it look like cattle. Its cheeks are like those of a moose, the tail is similar to that of a goat and the antlers are like those of a wildebeest. The rare animal is named the golden takin, an endangered goat-antelope that inhabits the Qinling Mountains.

A golden takin in Zhouzhi National Natural Reserve, northwest China's Shaanxi Province, June 26, 2019. /CFP

A golden takin in Zhouzhi National Natural Reserve, northwest China's Shaanxi Province, June 26, 2019. /CFP

There are four subspecies of takin, with the golden takin also known as Qinling takin as its native to the Qinling Mountains in northwest China's Shaanxi Province. Compared to the other takins, the adult golden takin has beautiful golden hair especially under the sunlight. 

A golden takin in Hanzhong City, northwest China's Shaanxi Province, August 15, 2019. /CFP

A golden takin in Hanzhong City, northwest China's Shaanxi Province, August 15, 2019. /CFP

The mixed forest and the alpine shrub and meadows are their ideal habitats. The vertical vegetation transition in the mountain decides the seasonal migration of the takins. During spring, they get together and migrate up the mountains to the tree line. When the temperature cools down and the plants become scarce, they climb down to the valleys.

A golden takin in Zhouzhi National Natural Reserve, northwest China's Shaanxi Province, June 26, 2019. /CFP

A golden takin in Zhouzhi National Natural Reserve, northwest China's Shaanxi Province, June 26, 2019. /CFP

The golden takin, together with crested ibis, panda and Qinling golden snub-nosed monkey are "four precious species in the Qinling Mountains" that are under first-class protection in China.

Happy "Niu" Year

February 12 marks the beginning of the Year of the Ox. Niu means ox in Chinese, but it can also mean "very impressive." In Chinese, the character niu is also a part of the names of animals other than the ox. In this series, CGTN goes over interesting facts about animals with the character niu in their names.

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