Study on the Population Structure of Takins (Budorcas taxicolor) in Wolong National Nature Reserve

The introduction of remote infrared video monitoring technology provides a deeper understanding of the basic information of takin population in Wolong National Nature Reserve. From July 2017 to June 2019, the takin population in Wolong National Nature Reserve was continuously monitored. In the form of online video and playback, 45188 takins were recorded in 9968 valid observations by sampling at regular intervals of 15 minutes. The ratio of male to female was 1.64∶1, and the ratio of female adult to subadult and young was 1∶0.39∶0.48, indicating that the takin population was in a stable growth state. The ratio of male and female takins appearing together in different seasons shows that there was a lot of time for male and female adults to appear together in the breeding season, while in the non-breeding season, they were relatively separated. The results indicated that in Wolong National Nature Reserve, the takin population was dominated by female adult individuals, and the basic unit was the family group composed of female adult individuals and related sub-adults and juvenile individuals. In the breeding season, due to the need of breeding and mating, many families gather together and form a group of 30−50 individuals with male individuals.