Bharal or Blue Sheep

Size:Body Length: 115-165 cm / 3.8-5.5 ft.
Shoulder Height: 75-90 cm / 2.5-3 ft.
Tail Length: 10-20 cm / 4-8 in.
Weight: 35-75 kg / 77-165 lb.

Description: The bharal was described by Hodgson in 1833. Bharal is a Hindi name, while “blue sheep” is a reference to the bluish sheen in the coat. The short, dense coat is slate grey in colour, sometimes with a bluish sheen. The underparts and backs of the legs are white, while the chest and fronts of the legs are black. Separating the grey back and white belly is a charcoal coloured stripe. The ears are small, and the bridge of the nose is dark. The horns are found in both sexes, and are ridged on the upper surface. In males, they grow upwards, then turn sideways and curve backwards, looking somewhat like an upside-down moustache. They may grow to a length of 80 cm/ 32 in. In females, the horns are much shorter and straighter, growing up to 20 cm / 8 inches long.

Reproduction: Gestation Period: 160 days. Young per Birth: 1. Mating occurs between October and January, with the young being born from May to July. Weaning: After 6 months. Sexual Maturity: At 1.5 years, although males do not reach their full potential before age 7. Life span: 12-15 years.

Social Behavior: Solitary or in small groups of less than 20 animals which consist of almost entirely one sex. Bharal are active throughout the day, alternating between feeding and resting on the grassy mountain slopes. Due to their excellent camouflage and the absense of cover in their environment, bharal remain motionless when approached. Once they have been noticed, however, they scamper up to the precipitous cliffs, where they once again freeze, ‘melting’ into the rock face. Bharal are the favourite prey of the Snow Leopard.

Diet: Grasses, lichens, hardy herbacious plants, mosses. (all above information from “The Ultimate Ungulate Page” by Brent Huffman).

In Pakistan the Bharal inhabits the remote and inaccesible mountian ranges of the Karakoram in Northern Pakistan at 3000-5550 m / 10,000-18,500 ft. Blue sheep are not as agile as ibex,and are typically found on more open and grassy areas. Blue sheep are found in Chat Pirt and Ghujerav areas of Shimshal in Baltistan (information by Sher Ali: Shimshal Nature Trust). They are also found in Khunjerab National Park. Shimshal marks the western most limit of their range in the Himalaya. It is believed that Bharal are common in the Shimshal area, but overall they are very local in distribution in Pakistan. Bharal meat is favoured by Shimshalis and they are hunted quiet often.