Mishmi takin faces new challenges in its changing habitat

High in the mist-shrouded mountains of Arunachal Pradesh, where India meets Tibet and Myanmar, lives one of the most elusive creatures of the Himalayas — the Mishmi takin (Budorcas taxicolor). The species is so unusual that early naturalists struggled to classify it. This robust, shaggy ungulate, often described as a cross between a goat and an ox, has roamed these slopes for millennia, perfectly adapted to the harsh, remote terrain.

Bhutanese and Tibetan folklore says the 15^th century Buddhist monk Drukpa Kunley, created the takin by joining a cow’s body with a goat’s head, explaining its peculiar appearance. In the early twentieth century, Captain F. M. Bailey, in Journey through a Portion of South-Eastern Tibet and the Mishmi Hills, reported spotting Mishmi takin herds of up to three hundred animals.

The Mishmi takin is one of four subspecies of the takin, a rare goat-antelope native to the eastern Himalayas. With powerful limbs, a large head, and a golden-yellow to dark brown coat, it stands up to 1.3 metres at the shoulder and weighs over 300 kilograms. Its arched nose and large sinus cavities warm icy mountain air before it reaches the lungs, an ideal adaptation for high-altitude life.

Chi Ma, an associate professor of mammal behaviour and diversity at Dali University in Yunnan, China, who has studied the Mishmi takin, explains that the species is an important large herbivore in the eastern Himalayas. “It helps shape vegetation and may contribute to seed dispersal, and it also forms part of the prey base for local predators. Its survival depends on the integrity of humid montane forests, access to mineral licks, and the availability of uninterrupted migration corridors.”

In Idu-Mishmi lands, where the Mishmi takin roams, animals are not merely wildlife; they are co-inhabitants of the forest, sharing the landscape with humans. The Idu Mishmi is a major sub-tribe of the Mishmi group and they reside in Arunachal Pradesh. Their interactions with the forest, including hunting, is regulated through a system of rituals and taboos that defines when, where, and how animals may be taken. Yet, growing connectivity and outside influences are gradually reshaping these traditional relationships.

Today, the Mishmi takin faces multiple threats — habitat disturbance, deforestation, road construction, human encroachment, and climate change. Recent camera-trap and field surveys from Arunachal Pradesh have typically recorded solitary animals or very small groups. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) lists the species as vulnerable on its Red List.

Less-studied and elusive

Despite its fascinating biology and cultural significance, surprisingly little is known about the Mishmi takin today, making it difficult to design effective conservation strategies. With expanding road connectivity, tourism in the Mishmi Hills, and changing Indigenous life-worlds, experts warn that pressures on the species are likely to intensify.

The Mishmi takin inhabits elevations between 1,800 and 4,000 metres. During warmer months, it moves to alpine meadows, while in winter it descends to forested slopes in search of food. Its secretive behaviour and remote habitat make sightings rare.

A 2019 study published in Global Ecology and Conservation highlighted a significant lack of field data, emphasising the need for focused research. In 2024, the Arunachal Pradesh Forest Department, in partnership with the Wildlife Trust of India (WTI) and funded by the Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment (ATREE), launched a comprehensive survey to map the species’ distribution and population in Arunachal Pradesh and parts of Sikkim.

The survey covers four regions — Dibang Valley, Siang, Subansiri, and Lohit-Changlang — including Namdapha and Mouling National Parks. Rahul Kaul, director of WTI, described it as “the first survey of its kind,” expected to provide valuable new insights into the Mishmi takin’s distribution and ecology and help guide future conservation measures.

Climate change and human presence in the takin’s habitat

Recent research by the Wildlife Institute of India analysed nearly 200 takin sightings alongside environmental variables such as climate, vegetation, terrain, and human disturbance. The findings show that only about 11% of northern and eastern Arunachal currently provide an optimal habitat. Under extreme climate scenarios, up to 45% of these habitats could disappear by 2070, forcing the species into higher, fragmented zones.

The Mishmi takin thrives in cold, wet, rugged slopes with dense forest and subalpine meadows but is highly sensitive to roads, settlements, and unprotected areas, making targeted conservation crucial.

A complaint filed with the National Green Tribunal in 2025 cited anthropogenic disturbance caused by road construction as a threat to the takin and other endangered species.

Field researchers have witnessed these changes first-hand. Mohan Sharma, a doctoral researcher in geography at Sikkim University studying human — wildlife relations in the Mishmi Hills, told Mongabay-India that during his initial fieldwork, it took five days to reach Bruni, a remote village near takin habitats in the Zawru Valley close to the Chinese border.

“When I first went to Bruni in 2016, it took a five-day walk to reach the village. By 2023, a road connecting Asecho to Bruni was constructed. Now, it’s just a couple of hours’ drive.” The road cuts through a biodiversity-rich landscape, including subalpine meadows, pine and conifer forests, and streams that support Mishmi takin, red panda, clouded leopard, and other rare species.

Before the road, journeys in the area were seasonal, leaving wildlife largely undisturbed. “Now, with an all-weather road, the area sees increased visitors and vehicular traffic, which is likely to rise in the future,” Sharma said. “This could disturb the habitats of the takin and other rare species over time.”

Moreover, researchers have warned that mega hydroelectric projects such as the Siang Valley dam project potentially threaten the Mishmi takin among other species.

The Idu-Mishmi and their changing forest ties

The Idu-Mishmi tribe follows eyu-ena, a complex system of ritual restrictions (genna) and taboos governing interactions with wildlife. Under this system, certain animals, places, or seasons are considered off-limits, ensuring sustainable use of natural resources while honouring spiritual beliefs. But as the Upper Dibang Valley becomes increasingly connected to the outside world, these Indigenous life-worlds are undergoing gradual change.

Sharma recalls that in 2016, community members cited various gennas regulating forest and wildlife access: “Someone might say, ‘Genna [ritual restrictions] laga hain, ek saal tak janghal nahi ja payega’ (I can’t go to the forest for a year because of a genna), or ‘Aaj aadmi mara hain, janghal nahi ja sakta’ (Someone has passed away; we can’t enter the forest today).”

Over the past decade, growing interaction with outsiders has begun to reshape how younger generations view these restrictions. “The younger generation, under 20 years old, do not have the same knowledge or relationship with the forests as the elders do,” Sharma said.

Bugey Mena, an Idu-Mishmi elder, agrees. “The gennas are part of Idu-Mishmi beliefs. Many of our younger folks do not seem to appreciate the significance of these beliefs handed down by our ancestors.”

Sharma notes that conversions and the influence of other religions are gradually reshaping the community’s relationship with forests and wildlife, moving them away from traditional Idu-Mishmi beliefs.

Traditional rites have long acted as a moral deterrent. Two and a half decades ago, David Pulu, an Idu-Mishmi tribesman, accidentally shot a hoolock gibbon, mistaking it for game, and gave up hunting entirely due to the emotional turmoil. Eyu-ena rules forbid hunting the species. “It’s a nightmare I don’t want to recall. Such a thing should never happen to any Idu-Mishmi man,” Pulu said in a 2019 interview.

Although hunting remains regulated by eyu-ena, growing connectivity and external influences are slowly eroding these traditional safeguards.

Sharma warns that growing infrastructure and human presence could negatively impact the takin and other wildlife. “Only by seeing animals as Indigenous peoples like the Idu-Mishmi have traditionally seen them — as conscientious beings with their own societies — can we sustain the bond that locals have shared with them for millennia,” Sharma said.

(The article was first published in Mongabay)