This species is distributed in the highlands of eastern Himalayas of Nepal, Bhutan and India. Subspecies M. c. chrysogaster is distributed within the Indian political boundary e.g. Himachal Pradesh, Uttarkhand, and Skkim. It is distributed in Nepal, Bhutan and Tibet, whereas, M. c. sifanicus is present in southern China. It inhabits coniferous and deciduous forests at the high elevations, where shrublands and mountain caves. It is a solitary ruminant herbivore that feeds on grasses, shrubs, moss, lichen and other available plant material. 

Conservation Status:

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


According to IUCN Red List assessment, the population of this species is decreasing all over its range. There are no satisfatory estimates of its population available apart from an anecdotal estimate of less than 1000 individuals in Nepal and the adjoining areas of India. Threat to its survival come mainly from hunting and trapping. Habitat loss and fragmetation is another cause of its population decline.