AnimalID

Name

5036

Markhor

LocationName:

Himalayas

Origin:

Original ZT

PurchaseCost:

$1,400

RequiresResearch:

No

IsClimber:

No

IsJumper:

Yes

General Information

Building an Exhibit

The Life Cycle

Who do they like to live with and eat?

Description:

The markhor is an endangered species of wild goat found in the rugged mountains of central Asia. Largest of the goats, this animal's most distinctive feature is a pair of thick, heavy, spiraling horns, which have been known to exceed 5 feet in length. Males have long hair on the chin, throat, chest, and shanks. Females are much smaller than males.

The markhor's range stretches from southern Russia to the western Himalayas. Within this area, markhor herds are usually small and isolated from each other. The markhor occupies arid, open cliffside habitats in sparsely wooded mountainous regions at altitudes ranging from 1,900 feet during winter and spring and up to 11,500 feet in the summer. It avoids deep snow and higher altitudes as its coat does not have the thick under fur which that would allow it to tolerate extreme cold.

The name markhor is derived from the Persian words "mar", " (snake, ) and "khor", (eating). Despite the name, the markhor is an herbivore, although it has been known to kill snakes. In the spring and summer, the markhor mainly grazes on grass. When this has dried up, it browses on leaves, twigs, and acorns. The markhor is an excellent climber: ; not only can it clamber up some of the steepest mountainsides in its alpine habitat, but it can also climb trees in search of food. The markhor has been observed standing on the branch of an oak tree, 15- to 20 feet off the ground, calmly munching on its oak leaves.

The markhor is a creature which that prefers its natural habitat, and it tends to be unhappy if placed in an setting which that does not meet its needs. In general, markhors are not the easiest animals to keep happy in captivity. Unhappy markhors are unlikely to reproduce. An angry or agitated markhor will run or trot around its enclosure, bucking and rearing. The markhor's alarm call is a nasal "a,", resembling the sound made by the common domestic goat.

During the rut, males fight for breeding rights. These competitions involve lunging and locking horns, followed by twisting and pushing movements which in an attempt to force the opponent off- balance.

In 1996, the markhor was declared endangered, due to the steady decline in population caused primarily by intensive trophy hunting. In addition, the field of Asian medicine provides a profitable market for markhor horns. Other human threats to the markhor include loss of habitat and competition from domestic livestock. As a result, markhor herds are generally quite small in size, averaging about nine animals. A herd contains mostly adult females and young, with one or more adult males.

The markhor's primary predators, apart from humans, are wolves, leopards, and snow leopards.

Attractiveness Adult:

Attractiveness Young:

Initial Happiness:

Habitat Preference:

10

30

60

90

Captivity:

Crowd:

CrowdHappiness Change:

ClimbsCliffs:

10

20

-5

Yes

General Information

Building an Exhibit

The Life Cycle

Who do they like to live with and eat?

To build a good animal exhibit you need to ask a few questions: (click them for the answers)

Which fence is suitable for this animal in terms of strength, if it can be climbed or jumped over?

How big should the exhibit be and what Terrain should be used?

What foliage should be used?

What rocks should be used?

What shelter does the animal need?

What toy does the animal like?

How deep should the exhibit be if using the "Pit Method"?

2 level

FenceName

Purchase Cost

Height

Strength

Life

Cost Effective

Stick Pole Fence

$75

2

225

12

16.0

Stick Pole Window Fence

$75

2

225

12

16.0

Chain-link Fence

$70

2

200

10

14.3

Post and Rail Fence

$90

2

250

12

13.3

Wood Slat Window Fence

$110

2

240

12

10.9

Wooden Slat Fence

$110

2

240

12

10.9

Rock Wall Fence

$150

2

280

14

9.3

Rock Window Fence

$150

2

280

14

9.3

Concrete Chain Fence

$150

2

275

14

9.3

Plexiglas Fence

$150

2

270

13

8.7

Iron Bar Fence

$180

2

290

14

7.8

Concrete Fence

$200

2

300

15

7.5

Reinforced Concrete Fence

$225

3

460

16

7.1

Reinforced Concrete and Glass Fence

$225

3

420

15

6.7

Concrete and Iron Bar Fence

$240

3

440

15

6.3

Electrified Chain-link Fence

$300

3

480

18

6.0

Electrified Iron Bar Fence

$350

3

400

18

5.1

General Information

Building an Exhibit

The Life Cycle

Who do they like to live with and eat?

Animal Density

Min

Number of Animals/Exhibit

Max

20

2

7

Terrain Name

Value

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

Gray stone

60

12

24

36

48

60

72

84

96

108

120

Snow

30

6

12

18

24

30

36

42

48

54

60

Grass

5

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

Fresh water

5

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

Rocks

8

6

13

19

26

32

38

45

51

58

64

Foliage

2

0

1

1

2

2

2

3

3

4

4

75

4

8

11

15

19

23

26

30

34

38

Exhibit Size

100

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

160

180

200

General Information

Building an Exhibit

The Life Cycle

Who do they like to live with and eat?

ID

Value

TreeName

Foliage Effect

Cost/ Square

Cost Effective

7070

10

Himalayan Birch Tree

52

$500

10.4

7072

5

Himalayan Pine Tree

32

$720

4.4

General Information

Building an Exhibit

The Life Cycle

Who do they like to live with and eat?

ID

Value

RockName

Size X

Size Y

Rock

Rock Effect

Purchase Cost

Cost Effective

9206

3

Small Rock

1

1

Yes

12

$55

21.8

9205

3

Medium Rock 

1

1

Yes

12

$75

16.0

9224

6

Large Highland Rock

6

4

Yes

9

$225

4.0

9200

6

Large Rock

2

2

Yes

6

$150

4.0

9220

6

Large Snowy Rock

2

2

Yes

1

$175

0.6

9221

6

Large Snowy Rock

2

2

Yes

1

$185

0.5

9210

6

Highland Rock Formation

8

2

9

$600

1.5

General Information

Building an Exhibit

The Life Cycle

Who do they like to live with and eat?

Shelter ID

Shelter Name

Shelter Value

Shelter Effect

Purchase Cost

Capacity

8106

Large Lean-to

25

15

$650

6

Yes

8105

Lean-to

20

10

$450

4

8109

Large Concrete Shelter

18

8

$225

6

Yes

8112

Large Wood Shelter 

18

8

$325

6

Yes

8108

Concrete Shelter

16

6

$175

4

8111

Wood Shelter

16

6

$225

4

8104

Small Lean-to

15

5

$250

2

8107

Small Concrete Shelter

13

3

$125

2

8110

Small Wood Shelter

13

3

$175

2

General Information

Building an Exhibit

The Life Cycle

Who do they like to live with and eat?

ToyID

ToyName

ToyValue

PurchaseCost

none

General Information

Building an Exhibit

The Life Cycle

Who do they like to live with and eat?

ReproductionChance:

High

SickChance:

10

ReproductionInterval(months):

5

SickChange:

-10

HappyReproduceThreshold:

95

DeathChance:

30

Offspring:

1

TimeDeath(months):

24

BabyToAdult(months):

4

General Information

Building an Exhibit

The Life Cycle

Who do they like to live with and eat?

Compatible Animals

Prey Animals

Ibex

8

KeeperFoodType:

Hay

none

General Information

Building an Exhibit

The Life Cycle

Who do they like to live with and eat?