Hunt History

There is little direct evidence of prehistoric takin hunting. Modern indigenous peoples occasionally hunt takins for meat or horns, and over‑hunting in Bhutan and China has extirpated local populations despite legal protection. Because takins inhabit steep, remote habitats, early human predation was likely opportunistic rather than systematic. Their horns and hides may have been valued, but no Pleistocene or Neolithic kill sites have been documented.
1. Eastern Himalaya – fossil evidence is scarce; current populations inhabit Bhutan, China, Myanmar and India.
2. Modern hunting laws – Bhutan, India and China prohibit takin hunting, but people still hunt them for meat and trade horns; this reflects human exploitation in historical times.
3. Absence of prehistoric sites – no known Palaeolithic or Neolithic sites show takin remains associated with human activity; their high‑altitude range likely limited early hunting.