Recently, 19 hikers from Daqing, Heilongjiang, encountered a "monster" with the head of a sheep and the body of a cow stuck in a rock crevice while hiking across Mount Taibai in Baoji. The kind-hearted hikers tried to rescue the unfamiliar "monster," but it didn’t seem to appreciate their help, fiercely swinging its sharp horns and "refusing" their approach.
After several attempts, the trapped "monster" was pulled out of the crevice by the hikers using a climbing rope tied around its horns. It wasn’t until they returned home and looked it up that they realized the "monster" they had rescued was the takin, a first-class nationally protected animal. Everyone was thrilled about their unusual encounter on Mount Taibai.
According to Li Jun’an, head of the Houzhenzi Protection Station of the Taibai Mountain Nature Reserve, on March 22, the station received a call from a Heilongjiang hiker stating that 19 of them had entered Mount Taibai from Yingge Town, Taibai County, on March 19. When returning near the Laojun Temple at an altitude of 2,800 meters, they found a "monster" with the head of a sheep and the body of a cow, whose hind legs were stuck in a rock crevice and unable to move. They attempted to rescue the trapped "monster," but it had a very bad temper, so they dared not get too close. Instead, they used a climbing rope to loop around its horns from behind and pulled it out of trouble from a distance.
Based on the hikers' description, the protection station staff determined that the "monster" they referred to was a takin, one of the "Four Treasures of Qinling." Takins are not only robust in build but also fierce in temperament, especially lone or injured takins, which can become even more aggressive and are prone to attacking when approached. Given that the takin was injured, the protection station staff advised the hikers not to approach it carelessly, but to let it lie in place and rest. Once the blood circulation in its injured hind leg improved, it would stand and walk on its own.
The takins distributed in the Qinling Mountains are the largest of the four subspecies, also known as golden takins or golden snub-nosed takins, and are called "white goats" by locals. They are classified as a first-class nationally protected animal. Li Jun’an explained that takins are social animals, typically living in groups ranging from just over ten to as many as forty or fifty individuals. Their mating season occurs every July and August.
Li Jun’an warned that if you encounter an injured or "heartbroken" lone takin in the mountains, you must be extremely cautious, as such takins are in a bad mood, easily irritated, and likely to attack humans. Additionally, people wearing red clothing are more likely to attract the attention of takins. If you happen to meet a takin, you should quickly take off any red outerwear to reduce its focus on you and be wary of it becoming as aggressive as a Spanish fighting bull, potentially attacking you for what it perceives as "provocation."