Motithang Takin Preserve

The takin is a large hoofed animal of the eastern Himalaya with the body of a bovine and the head of a goat, and Bhutanese tradition holds that it was made by the saint Drukpa Kunley, the Divine Madman, who assembled it from the bones of a goat and a cow after a meal and brought it to life, which is why it is the national animal. The preserve began as a small zoo, which a later king ordered closed as inappropriate for a Buddhist country; the takin released from it refused to leave the area and wandered Thimphu, so a fenced forest enclosure was made for them instead. That enclosure is what visitors see: several hectares of hillside woodland with a viewing path, holding a small herd. Sightings depend on where the animals are grazing.

History

A legend credits Lama Drukpa Kunley with creating the takin in the 15th century, and the animal was declared Bhutan's national animal on 25 November 2005. A few takin were once kept in a mini-zoo in Thimphu until the King, holding that it was improper for a Buddhist country to confine animals, ordered them freed; they would not leave and wandered the streets for weeks looking for food, so an enclosure of 3.4 hectares of forest was fenced for them at Motithang, improved in 2004 by the government and WWF Bhutan with a traditional gate and a small information centre (Wikipedia, Motithang Takin Preserve).

The landscape

• Takin - the national animal, part goat and part cow in appearance.
• The forest enclosure - hillside woodland rather than pens.
• The viewing path - a short trail along the fence line.
• The origin story - the Drukpa Kunley legend told at the site.

When to go

March to May and September to November. Mornings and late afternoons are when the animals move and feed; in the middle of the day they often lie up out of sight in the trees.

Things to know

This is a fenced enclosure, so it is not wildlife watching in the wild. The animals may not be visible at all if they are in the far corner of the woodland. The site is small and the visit takes half an hour. Facilities are minimal.

Nearby

Thimphu lies below; Tango and Cheri monasteries are north up the valley.

Key facts