Serows, gorals, takin, and other wild sheep and goats are in danger.

While humans have domesticated and kept sheep and goats for their meat and wool for more than 10,000 years, wild sheep and goats remain in mountainous regions of the world. Living in steep and rocky areas where larger-hooved animals can't survive, these agile animals are an essential food source for predators like the snow leopard.

And many wild sheep and goats are in danger of extinction.

Their dwindling numbers have long been a mystery, but according to a new study, the culprit seems to be: poaching.

Wild sheep and goats' body parts are highly desirable. Eyes, tongues, heads, and tails are all traded for medical purposes. Horns are marketed as decorations, and their meat is sold for food in Myanmar Markets.

With data stretching back twenty years, this poaching has gone unnoticed for far too long. The international study focused on five species: red and mainland serows, Himalayan and red gorals, and Mishmi takin, all of whose numbers are so diminished that few people have even heard of them. The Tibetan antelope, a bit better off in population size, and blue sheep, more remote in less accessible habitats, are also being poached.

These species and many others are on the brink of extinction. Right now, this illegal trade is largely unchecked. There is a clear need for more effective monitoring, enforcement, and prosecution. This study is an important step in bringing attention to the plight of wild sheep and goats and protecting them for years to come.

As we've seen with many species across the globe, everything is connected. Our fragile ecosystems require balance.

So, we must do everything we can to conserve these precious animals.

Rob