Takin is distributed in the high lands of Bhutan, Arunachal Pradesh, southeast China. B. t. taxicolor and B. t. whitei are two subspecies present in the Indian boundaries. It inhabits rocky alpine habitats at higher altitudes between 1000 and 4500 m. It is a diurnal species that feeds on grasses and other plant material.

Conservation Status:

This species is listed as Vulnerable in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (https://www.iucnredlist.org/).


According to IUCN Red List assessment, population all the subspecies is decreasing. There are no population estimates available for this species. Major threats to its survival mainly come from habitat fragmentation and loss due to human activities such as overgrazing by livestock, logging, agriculture and plantation, residential and commercial development and hunting/trapping.