International Day of the Markhor
Next: May 24, 2027
Corkscrew horns on the high slopes.
The story
Where it comes from
The markhor (Capra falconeri) is a wild goat with long corkscrew horns that lives on steep slopes in the mountains of Central and South Asia, in Afghanistan, India, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. On 2 May 2024 the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution, sponsored by Pakistan and eight other countries, proclaiming 24 May the International Day of the Markhor (resolution 78/278). The day was first marked three weeks later. It asks countries to work together to protect the markhor and the mountain home it shares with people.
How it's celebrated
Pakistan, where the markhor is the national animal, leads the day with its government and UN partners. The UN Environment Programme and the Mountain Partnership, a UN alliance for mountain peoples and places, use it to talk about mountain wildlife and the communities who live alongside it. For everyone else it is a good day to meet an animal few people have heard of.
Did you know
- A markhor's corkscrew horns can grow up to 160 centimetres (63 inches) long.
- There are thought to be only about 5,700 mature markhor in the wild, and the species is listed as Near Threatened.
- Markhor live between about 600 and 3,600 metres above sea level, in open woodland, scrub and light forest.
Coming up next
- World Football Day · May 25, 2027
- Africa Day · May 25, 2027
- World Lindy Hop Day · May 26, 2027
- Golden Gate Bridge Opens · May 27, 2027
- Menstrual Hygiene Day · May 28, 2027
- International Everest Day · May 29, 2027