‘Elusive’ Himalayan creature’s ‘unprecedented’ visit caught on trail camera. See it
In a lowland forest of northeastern India, an “elusive” mountain creature walked through the morning sun. Its appearance was “unprecedented” — and caught on camera.
Scientists set up dozens of trail cameras throughout Nameri National Park for a month-long survey focused on monitoring local tiger populations, according to a study published Dec. 26 in the peer-reviewed Journal of Threatened Taxa.
But the cameras ended up recording a first-of-its-kind sighting for the park: a Himalayan serow.
Himalayan serows are “medium-sized, goat-like” mammals known for their “elusive nature,” the study said. They live almost exclusively in the Himalayas, typically at elevations of about 8,200 to 11,500 feet.
The Himalayan serow seen at Nameri National Park was “recorded at an unprecedented low elevation” of 360 feet, researchers said.
Photos show the dark brown serow walking toward the camera. From afar, it looks almost like an antlerless moose.
Researchers suspect the Himalayan serow was “grazing or searching for water.” Its visit to “such a low elevation” was “unusual,” possibly caused by “seasonal migration,” “displacement” and/or an underappreciated “habitat adaptability.”
The trail camera survey lasted from early February to early March, the study said. Researchers suggested further surveys to better understand the behavior of Himalayan serows.
Nameri National Park is situated “in the foothills of the eastern Himalayas” and near a disputed state border between Assam and Arunachal Pradesh. The park is a roughly 1,200-mile drive southeast of New Delhi and near the border with Bhutan and China.
The research team included B. Piraisoodan, Asish Immanuel Baglary, Saumitro Das and Debasish Buragohain.
This story was originally published December 26, 2024 at 9:03 AM with the headline "‘Elusive’ Himalayan creature’s ‘unprecedented’ visit caught on trail camera. See it."
