News Excerpt: 

The mainland serow (Capricornis sumatraensis thar), a mammal that resembles a cross between a goat and an antelope, has been recorded at the lowest elevation in Assam, ever beyond its natural home in Bhutan.

More about the news: 

This significant finding was made by a team of scientists in western Assam’s Raimona National Park, where they spotted a lone serow at just 96 metres above mean sea level. Remarkably, this elusive animal was found within a kilometer radius from human habitation. This discovery, documented with photographic evidence, has been published in the latest issue of the Journal of Threatened Taxa.

About Mainland Serow:

• Brian Houghton Hodgson originally named the goat-like "Bubaline Antelope" that he saw in montane areas between the Sutlej and Teesta Rivers in 1831 with short annulated horns.
• It is a mammal that appears somewhere between a goat and an antelope and bears the scientific name of Capricornis sumatraensis 

Characteristics:

• The serow features guard hairs that range in coarseness, covering its underlayer of fur to different extents. 
• It displays a distinctive mane extending from its horns along the middle of its back between the shoulder blades. 
• Horns are a male trait which are typically light in color. 
• There are four additional species of serow: 
• Japanese Serow (C. crispus)
• Formosan Serow (C. swinhoei)
• Burmese Red Serow (C. rubidus)
• Thar, or Himalayan Serow (C. thar) (sometimes considered a subspecies of the mainland serow)

Mainland Serow Physical Characteristics:

• Horns: Both sexes have stout, sharp, and slightly backward-bent horns.
• Diploid Number of Chromosomes: 46 in the mainland serow, 50 in the Formosan and Japanese serows.
• Coloration: Extremely variable; typically grizzled black head, neck, and mane, with rusty red on shoulders, flanks, and lower thighs. White may appear on the muzzle, throat, chest, and mane.
• Size: Weight is about 30–45 kg (66–99 pounds), shoulder height is about 110 cm (40 inches). Both sexes are similar in size.
• Habitat: Ranges from sea level in the Malay Peninsula to over 4,000 meters (13,000 feet) in the Himalayan mountains. Forest-dwelling, solitary, and territorial.
• Behavior: Nocturnal and elusive; well adapted to climbing, sometimes resting on large tree trunks overhanging cliffs.

Habitat:

• The Himalayan serow resides in mountainous forests typically above 300 meters (980 feet) but may descend to 100 meters (330 feet) during winter. 
• According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature, the mainland serow occupies habitats ranging from 200 to 3,000 meters in altitude. 
• It shows a preference for elevations between 2,500 and 3,500 meters (8,200–11,500 feet) in the Himalayas.
• This species favors rocky terrain but is also found in forests and flat regions. Moreover, it possesses the ability to swim to small offshore islands.
• Its main habitat is across the India-Bhutan border in Phibsoo Wildlife Sanctuary and the Royal Manas National Park in the Himalayan country.

Conservation: 

• Hunted for meat and body parts used in local medicine. The mainland serow is protected under CITES Appendix I.
• IUCN Red List: Vulnerable.