Photos of the baby markhorSyracuse (WSYR-TV) – The Rosamond Gifford Zoo announced its newest member on Wednesday – a baby markhor.
The baby wild goat, whose parents are “Edith” and “Sunny,” is the first to be born at the zoo in nine years.
The markhor is classified as endangered and rare in captivity. Only 2,500 are estimated to be in the wild and only 13 zoos exhibit the markhor.
It is the largest member of the goat family, standing up to 45 inches tall and weighing up to 250 pounds.
The markhor is a species of large wild goat that is native to central Asia.
The signature feature of the adult markhor is a pair of spiraling horns.
The markhor is the national animal of Pakistan. The name comes from ancient Persian and means “the snake eater.” According to zoo experts, the markhor is an herbivore that may stomp a snake in order to protect itself or its mates, it does not eat snakes.
