IWN Report — Monday, 22 June 2026
The last time anyone confirmed a Mishmi takin in Sikkim, it was a single animal. That was 1999. On 14 June 2026, forest officials recorded something considerably more striking: a herd of eight.
The footage was captured at 1:39 pm in the Bakuchen area of Tingda Reserve Forest in Mangan district, North Sikkim, during a joint survey by the Forest and Environment Department and the State Tourism Department assessing a proposed trekking route between Kabi and Panch Pokhari. The footage was recorded by Tsewang Nedup Bhutia, Head Forest Guard under Phodong Territorial Range, who later recalled that a pungent smell — a characteristic signal of a large wild animal nearby — preceded the sighting.
The Forest and Environment Department, Sikkim confirmed in a statement on 17 June that the eight individuals constitute the largest group of Mishmi takins ever documented from this locality. It is also one of the most significant confirmed records of the species in Sikkim in over two decades.
The animal
The Mishmi takin (Budorcas taxicolor taxicolor) is a large, stocky ungulate of the eastern Himalayas — one of four subspecies of takin, and among the stranger-looking large mammals found in India. Its distinctive moose-like face with a large arched nose, thick coat, broad hooves adapted for steep terrain, and prominent ridged horns that curve backward have long puzzled naturalists attempting to classify it. Adults can weigh 250–400 kg. The skin secretes an oily substance that acts as natural waterproofing — an adaptation to the cold, wet alpine zones it inhabits.
Bhutanese and Tibetan folklore holds that the 15th-century Buddhist monk Drukpa Kunley created the takin by joining a cow’s body with a goat’s head — which goes some way toward explaining its peculiar appearance.
The species is listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List. Estimates place the Indian population at around 220–300 individuals, concentrated primarily in Arunachal Pradesh. In Sikkim, the Mishmi takin reaches the westernmost edge of its global distribution — a range that otherwise spans northeastern India, northern Myanmar, southeastern Tibet, and parts of southern China.
Why this matters
The significance of the Sikkim sighting lies in several things at once. The video is a first — no filmed record of the species in the state has previously been documented. The herd of eight is the largest group recorded from this specific locality. And Sikkim’s position at the western margin of the species’ range makes any confirmed presence ecologically meaningful: it suggests the Eastern Himalayan corridor between Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim may be functioning well enough to support movement and possibly a resident population.
The Forest and Environment Department attributed the sighting to sustained conservation efforts and habitat protection across Sikkim’s mountain ecosystems. Wildlife experts noted that the presence of a herd — rather than a solitary animal — reflects the ecological integrity of the high-altitude habitat and underscores the importance of maintaining transboundary connectivity across the Eastern Himalayas.
Sources: PTI — The Print · East Mojo · India Today NE · Deccan Chronicle · Mongabay India