Know Before You Go
Bharal Facts | Himalayas Wildlife Guide
Although it is commonly called a blue sheep, this stocky prey of the snow leopard is taxonomically between a sheep and a goat and is the only animal in the genus Pseudois.
In Peter Mathiessen’s book The Snow Leopard, the bharal originally drew him and researcher George Schaller into the Himalayas.
This high-altitude climber (they can be found at elevations over 19,000 feet) is known for being able to disappear into a cliffside. Their camouflaged coats, ranging in color form grey to slate blue, blend into the surrounding rocks. When they sense an intruder, they will stay perfectly still when approached, nearly impossible to see, until they burst forth in a startled spray of pebbles.
Both males and females have horns. The males’ horns are larger, curving out to the sides of the head. Females’ horns are smaller and straighter. Males can weigh more than 160 pounds, and females can weigh more than 80 pounds. They are abundant and widespread throughout the Tibetan Plateau.
