East Caucasian Tur

Shahdag National Parks.

An animal species belonging to the class Mammalia, the order Artiodactyla, and the family Bovidae. It is endemic to the Caucasus. In Azerbaijan, it is found only in the Greater Caucasus Mountains. It is distributed from the upper forest belt to the mountain peaks. It is well adapted to high-altitude conditions. Its senses of hearing, sight, and smell are well developed. They mainly live in herds. Some males, however, live alone. They undertake vertical migrations depending on the seasons and time of day. In spring, males separate from the herd and live at higher elevations. In mid-autumn, the herds mix again, and the mating season begins. The gestation period of females lasts 150–160 days. Before giving birth, females separate from the herd and move to safe places. They give birth to one offspring, or in some cases, two. They are protected in Zagatala State Nature Reserve and Ilisu and Shahdag National Parks.