New Arrivals: Porter and Taiyang, Sichuan Takins

Sichuan takins are back at Lincoln Park Zoo! Early this month, 3-year-old Porter and 2-year-old Taiyang, two brothers born at Potawatomi Zoo in South Bend, Indiana, arrived here following a recommendation by the Sichuan Takin Species Survival Plan®.

The brothers are settling in to their habitat in the South Loop of the zoo. Soon, they will also experience a brand-new, large climbing structure hand-built by the zoo’s Facilities team and funded by longtime Lincoln Park Zoo supporter, volunteer, and Heritage Society member Sue Ann Selle. The structure will help them make use of their natural behaviors, as takins are native to mountainous regions in the Himalayan mountains at elevations up to 14,000 feet.

Sichuan takins are horned mammals related to goats and sheep, with an ox-like build and a weight up to 750 pounds. They are distinguished by their fluffy coat, stout legs, hairy muzzle, and a bulbous nose. The nose, with its large sinus cavities, helps warm inhaled air before it gets into their lungs. They also adapt to cold, high-altitude conditions by growing a secondary coat in the fall and secreting an oil from their skin that acts as natural waterproofing.

They’re social, forming herds mostly made up of females. The males, who are larger, join only to breed. Takins are often found in the same central China ecosystems as giant pandas and have few natural predators due to their size. In the spring, they gather to migrate up to the tree line. In the fall, they move into forested valleys where food is more plentiful. Like cows, they are ruminants—they chew their cud. This means they regurgitate food that has fermented in their foregut, chew it, and swallow it again to obtain as many nutrients as possible.

Sichuan takins are considered a vulnerable species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. Their numbers have decreased in the wild due to overhunting and habitat loss, although they are protected by the Chinese government.

Come by and say hello to the new boys this spring. Perhaps you’ll be able to see them climbing!