Siberian Mountain Goat

Siberian Mountain Goat — Capra sibirica Pall. (in Kyrgyz: male — teke, female — echki)

In Kyrgyzstan, it is found across all mountain ranges. It is particularly numerous in the Terkei, Kungoi, Kyrgyz, Talas, Chatkal, Naryn, At-Bash, Kok-Shaal, Fergana, Alai, and Zaalai ranges. It inhabits the mountains surrounding Lake Son-Kul, in the upper reaches of Sary-Jaz, as well as along the Barcoldoy, Ak-Shiyrak, and Kuylu-Tuu ranges.

In its distribution, it prefers cliffs and rocky slopes, with the essential condition being the presence of alpine meadows located nearby on the slopes of the ridges, where it grazes.

Mountain goats inhabit conditions that have not yet been significantly impacted by human activity.

This is why there are no significant changes in their distribution and numbers, which are so clearly expressed for other members of the even-toed ungulates. This also explains why goats have remained widespread in areas where they were found decades and centuries ago. However, it should be noted that there has been a significant decline in goat numbers in areas close to large settlements (for example, the Kyrgyz ridge, Kavak-Tuu, etc.). Here, poaching has been conducted for many years.

The largest populations of goats are concentrated in the Naryn, Jumgal, and Ala-Buka forestry districts, as well as in the Talas, Jety-Oguz, Przhevalsky, Jumgal, and Naryn forestry districts.

There have been observations of herds numbering several hundred heads along the Kok-Kiya, Ak-Shiyrak, Sary-Jaz ridges, and others. In some places, due to constant human pursuit, they have partially migrated to other less accessible and remote areas. Therefore, in some cases, the apparent decrease in the number of animals in certain areas does not necessarily indicate an actual reduction in their population.

Long-term observations have shown that in certain years, goats can move from one place to another. These movements depend primarily on the availability of food, its accessibility, constant human pursuit, and other factors. Most often, vertical movements of goats are observed in winter when deep snow falls, causing them to descend below the alpine meadows to the coniferous belt, and sometimes they enter these areas. Such movements are not prolonged, and as the snow melts or is blown away from certain areas, the animals ascend again. In the life of goats, snow cover plays a significant role not only as a factor influencing their vertical movement due to food inaccessibility but also as an obstacle hindering normal animal movement, which is why they often become prey to predators such as the snow leopard, wolf, and, in some cases, dogs.

At different times of the day, the activity of goats varies. In the early morning hours, when the fog clears, herds of grazing goats can usually be observed on the slopes of the mountains, typically under the cliffs. In case of sudden danger, the sentinel male emits a sharp hissing whistle, and the entire herd, stretching into a line, quickly disappears into the rocks. It is believed that the sentinel in the herd of goats can change over time, but the very fact of the presence of such sentinels is beyond doubt. During the daytime, after grazing, goats sleep lying on their sides on hard-to-reach ledges of rocks.

When viewed from above, it creates the impression that the animals are dead. In the afternoon, goats descend again to feeding areas, where they graze until dusk and even into the night. The herd behavior of goats can change depending on the season. In spring, adult males separate from females and young ones, forming small groups of 5-7 heads. Pregnant females (before giving birth) tend to stay apart, often one or two individuals. Later, they join with the young and two- to three-year-olds to form herds that sometimes number up to a hundred or more heads. There are also separate herds that include young males and barren females, and sometimes adult males are included.

The rutting season for goats on the Terkei Ala-Too ridge, according to long-term observations, begins in the second half of November and ends at the end of December. However, in different areas of the range within Kyrgyzstan, the timing of the rut can vary, significantly depending on the climatic conditions of the year.

During this period, herds consisting of varying numbers of individuals have been observed. Large herds during the rut break into smaller ones. The formation of "harems," in the full sense of the word, has not been observed.

During the rut, males are in an excited state. They follow females with stretched necks and raised tails. The tail rises in males a few days before the rut and can, to some extent, serve as a marker for its onset. As for fights between males, they do occur and can be quite fierce. Often, fighting older males, in a state of strong excitement, do not notice when younger males approach and mate with females. Usually, young sexually mature males keep a respectful distance from older males.

In late May and the first half of June, females give birth. A female usually gives birth to one, and rarely two kids, which quickly gain independence. A few hours after birth, the young kids, once dried, can, albeit unsteadily, follow their mother, and within a few days, they can move quite freely behind her even on the rocks. Horns begin to grow in kids by the third or fourth month. Young ones stay with their mother for about six months, i.e., the entire lactation period.

The lifespan of the Siberian goat in natural conditions does not exceed 10 years.

Goats shed their fur once a year. In Kyrgyzstan, shedding begins at the end of May and ends in the first half of August. The start and end of shedding are directly dependent on the degree of fatness of the animal and the conditions in which they live. There is also a certain sequence in the shedding of different sex and age groups of animals. Males and barren females shed earlier, while sick animals and females with young shed later.

Goats feed on plant food, primarily grass that grows in their grazing areas. R. P. Zimina provides the following list of snow-covered forage consumed by goats:

1. Siberian Alchemilla.
2. Semenov's onion.
3. Dzhungarian angelica.
4. Clustered bellflower.
5. Sedge.
6. Tian-Shan eggplant.
7. Low Kobresia.
8. Krylov's fescue.
9. Grooved fescue.
10. Tian-Shan fescue. 11. Stone geranium.
12. Lagotis.
13. Meadow pea.
14. Eder's mytnik.
15. Mountain-loving zopnik.
16. Alpine meadow-grass.
17. Narrow-leaved meadow-grass.
18. Dzhungarian knotweed.
19. Potentilla.
20. Rhodiola.
21. Thermopsis.
22. Three-bristle spikelet.

Additionally, it is known that in winter, goats eat the needles of juniper and small branches of various shrubs. For goats inhabiting the Zailiyskiy Ala-Tau, the shoots of ephedra and juniper, as well as branches of cherry, meadowsweet, caragana, and rosehip serve as food.

The Siberian goat has few enemies, which is apparently explained by its habitat, where only the snow leopard and wolf are present as predators. The snow leopard hunts goats throughout the year, which are its main food source: where there are goats, there are usually snow leopards. In winter, a significant number of goats fall prey to wolves, especially in the strip of the syrts. Occasionally, dogs can catch up with goats in deep snow. As for predatory birds, such as the golden eagle and bearded vulture, they also sometimes attack young goats. The most dangerous enemy is the poacher. Unfortunately, this category of "hunters" has not disappeared to this day.

Siberian goats, like other ungulates in Kyrgyzstan, are host to various parasites. Among helminths, the following are known: Skrjabinema ovis, Multiceps skrjabini, Dictocanius filaria, Protostrongylus davtiani, Protostrongylus kochi, Spiculocaulus austriacus, Skrjabinema ovis, Trichocephalus skrjabini, Trichocephalus ovis; among ectoparasites — Haemophysalis warburtoni, Dermacentor pavlovskyi, Dermacentor marginatus. The itching scabies Acaris sirocaprae particularly bothers the animals, and they are often affected by it. Many cases are known where goats died due to exhaustion caused by this disease. Itching scabies is widespread among goats found in the Ak-Sai valley, on Susamyr, in Arpa, the Alai valley, and other places.

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