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Rare Argali sheep sighted in Nelang Valley

TNN | Aug 29, 2017, 22:31 IST

UTTARKASHI: A rare Argali sheep has been sighted in the Nelang Valley of Gangotri National Park in Uttarkashi. The animal was caught on camera traps installed by the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) team at around 11,000 feet in the Nelang Valley.
The animal is mostly found in the highlands of Tibet and Kazakhstan and WII officials and the forest department has sighted it for the first time in Uttarakhand.

S Sathya Kumar of WII said, “It’s a first of a kind sighting and now we will research the finding.” The species is said to be largest among other wild sheep and is scientifically called Ovis Ammon.

The International Union of Conservation of Nature, in its red list, has declared the animal as endangered. Kumar said that it may be because of the lack of its feeding ground and excess hunting of the species for horns and meat.

Deputy Director of Gangotri National Park, Shravan Kumar, said, “The forest department and WII has installed around 35 cameras at different places in the national park, to watch the activities of animals and locate endangered species. The discovery is a good sign for the biodiversity of the park. Our department is taking all possible steps to protect rare animals.” Abhyudaya Kotnala

I had to go to Google maps to find Uttarkashi.

I have been to Uttarkashi and trekked into the mountains up to 12500 ft. https://www.google.co.nz/maps/...3!4d78.5245554?dcr=0

Uttarkashi has a population of over 300,000 which is surprising.

I spent 10 days in Dodi Tal - which is the very south end of the high snow mountais - about 10 km East of Yamnotri and 30km West of Gangotri.

The animal is the Nayan (edited) or Tibetan Argali - the largest body size of all Argalis and the horns are max 55 inches but as heavy as the Altai Argali.

I am surprised at some of the comments as this is part of the traditional Nayang range 100 years ago - going East to Sikkim. IN Ladakh (Indian Tibet) they are found in the Chang Chen Mo Valley - (line of control with China.)

You used to get the Marco Polo Argali in India before that part of Kashmir was occupied by Pakistan (Afghan border in the far north (Eastern most part of Afghanistan) in in the most incredible range of high mountains on earth.