Game of Thrones inspires keepers at Highland Wildlife Park

Two of the newest additions to the Highland Wildlife Park in Kingussie have been named by their keepers after characters in the hit series Games of Thrones.

Arya and Khaleesi are female Mishmi Takin calves born just two days apart at the wildlife park. They join seven members of the park's current Mishmi herd which are bred as part of a European-wide programme to ensure the future of the species which is native to India, Bhutan and China but is endangered due to its poaching for meat and traditional medicine.

In the wild Mishmi Takin live in family groups of up to thirty individuals, made up of females, their offspring and some adult males, though in summer they can gather in larger herds of up to 300 animals. Males grow up to 1.3 metres high at the shoulder and weigh up to 350 kilograms.

Douglas Richardson, Head of Living Collections at Highland Wildlife Park, said: 'The pair are integrating well within the herd and are in excellent health. Both Rosie and Cava are seasoned mothers and take exceptionally good care of their offspring. The youngsters’ relatively stocky legs and thick fur makes them look tubbier than most newly born hoofed mammals, which tend to be all legs.

'Mishmi takin are very popular with visitors, who find them very unusual animals. Often visitors can’t quite decide what type of animal they are – basically because they don’t resemble anything else – though the species is actually a form of primitive goat-antelope, native to the eastern Himalayas.'

Highland Wildlife Park, Kincraig, Kingussie PH21 1NL; tel: 01540 651270; visit the website.



(Image copyright Alex Riddell)