Chinese Goral

Central Chinese Goral at the LA Zoo

While walking through the Los Angeles Zoo I was intrigued by the use of space. It's in a very hilly area, but instead of just having empty land, they used those slopes for the enclosures of animals that are right at home on them.

Such was the case with the Chinese Goral, a small goat-like antelope native to the steep, rocky areas of East Asia. Their typical elevation is 3,000-8,000ft, and they have been found in places much, much higher! Naturally, they are very swift and agile over this rough terrain, and are able to use their sure-footedness to escape from predators. As adults, Chinese Gorals have virtually no predators aside from humans.

Chinese Gorals live in small groups year round, and females give birth to one or two kids each May or June. Both the males and females have horns. When it comes to food, they are typically browsers, but they will also consume grasses and other plant materials that are available.

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IUCN Status : Vulnerable
Location : East Asia
Size : Shoulder height up to 50in (130cm), Weight up to 93lbs (42kg)

Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Mammalia -- Order : Artiodactyla
Family : Bovidae -- Genus : Naemorhedus -- Species : N. griseus