The name “Markhor” is a combination of two Persian and Pashto words: “Mar” means snake and “khor” means eater. Due to its long, curled up, snake-like horns people beleive that it could kill and eat snake..There is no evidence of markhors eating snakes or killing them with their horns.

The Markhor (Capra falconeri) is the largest of the goat family and is found in the rugged mountains of central Asia, from Southern Russia to the sparse woodland of the West Himalayas. The markhor is largely found in the Northern Areas of Pakistan especially in Chitral, Ghizar and Hunza regions.

Markhors live at altitudes of 500 to 3,500 metres (1,600 to 11,000 feet) depending on season, summer is spent at higher altitudes and winter at lower altitudes. The Markhor is the national animal of Pakistan.

The markhor prefers arid cliffside habitats in sparsely wooded mountainous regions as well as the Middle Asian Mountains Temperate Forests. Markhors try to avoid deep snow.

Markhors are grazing animals in the summer and browsing animals in the winter. The markhors diet consists of tussocks of grass, leaves and other vegetation.

Main predators of the markhor include the wolf, snow leopard, leopard, lynx and humans.

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