Orongo - description, habitat, lifestyle

Orongo means a Tibetan antelope, which is otherwise referred to as a ciru. This representative belongs to the family of bovids and the subfamily goat. Distribution mainly affects Pakistan, Nepal, India, Afghanistan and nearby territories. Some representatives of the species are found quite high - within 4.6 thousand from sea level. What is noteworthy, today there are about 75 thousand of these individuals. Poachers exterminate the population, as animal hair is valued.

Habitat and Description

1. Distribution is quite extensive, starting from the Himalayas. Individuals are found in Nepal, China, India. They can successfully exist at an altitude of more than 4.5 thousand meters and at the same time feel comfortable. Quite a lot of family members in Xinjiang and Qinghai. There are individuals in the Tibet region.
2. As for the distinctive characteristics, in their overall characteristics, individuals grow up to 1.2 m long with a height along the withers within 1 m.
3. These are small-sized animals, medium-sized, with a weight of about 30 kg. Male animals are larger than females. Horns are exclusively found in males; they rise directly above the head or bend back. Due to the presence of furrows, the horns appear ribbed, uneven.
4. As for the coat, it is smooth and compacted. By the shade, individuals are quite diverse. They can be light, gray or brown-red. In the abdominal region, whitish marks are observed. In the area of ​​the forelimbs, black stripes extend in full length. The tail is medium in length.
5. On the face there is black and white pigmentation. The ears are large in size, the ends are sharp. The animals presented lack a pronounced trunk, in contrast to their saiga relatives. Animals are endowed with a special bloating in the area of ​​the base of the nose, the bulge itself is like a ball. It is increasing or decreasing.

Lifestyle

1. The presented animals like to live in the steppe zones, which are practically devoid of vegetation. They can live in harsh climates without feeling much discomfort. Almost always live in packs of 25 individuals on average.
2. The diet of individuals is based on food of plant origin, namely young shoots and herbs. It is worth noting that such animals are excellent runners. If they notice a danger, they can reach speeds of over 50 km / h.
3. As for the mating season, in such individuals it often begins in late autumn or early winter. It is noteworthy that at such a time the males form a kind of harem. Individuals of the stronger sex are trying to protect their chosen ones by all means. Therefore, serious skirmishes can often be observed between males.
4. Moreover, fights often occur quite serious. Animals in this case come out strongly crippled. Serious injuries are often caused by long horns. After the males resolve all issues among themselves, they begin to mate.
5. The duration of pregnancy in females lasts about six months. In most cases, 1 or a maximum of 2 cubs may be born. Throughout the year, offspring develops and remains to live with their mother. It often happens that in the first six months, half of the young die. Up to 1 year only 35% of the cubs survive.
6. The problem with a high mortality rate is the harsh climate. That is why young orongo often die. As soon as young females reach puberty, they try to stay with the main herd. Males in turn form their groups. In the wild, such animals do not live longer than 9 years.

Interesting fact

It is noteworthy that individuals belong to the category of animals about which little is known. People have hardly studied orongo. Animals live in inaccessible places in mountainous areas at high altitude. For the first time such individuals were noticed by a Russian researcher when he went on an expedition to the Himalayas.

Status

1. The problem is that animals have an isolated habitat. Because of this feature, the number of individuals is low. In total, there are no more than 75 thousand goals. It is these numbers that caused the inclusion of animals in the Red Book.
2. The problem is that the number of individuals is gradually declining. Because of this, animals are on the verge of extinction. In addition, locals kill orongo because of the value of their skins.

In the last century, individuals were massively hunted. Because of this, their numbers declined sharply. Animals are currently under guard. They are considered an endangered species.