Two new golden takin calves

Animal news | 20 April 2026

We’re delighted to welcome two new arrivals to our golden takin enclosure after mothers Joko and Chengdu gave birth last month. The little ones were born 10 days apart in February and are called I’Na Tashi (mother: Chengdu) and Ikumi (mother: Joko). The two calves can almost always be found playing and climbing together in the outdoor enclosure – we love watching them explore. Father, Bian Fu, and big brother Hiro, born a year ago, can also be seen in the enclosure. While the golden takin might look like a cross between a goat and a cow, they’re actually more closely related to goats and sheep than to cattle. They’re part of the Caprinae family, a subgroup of bovids that includes animals such as goats, sheep, ibex, musk oxen and chamois. They’re herbivores and are perfectly adapted to rocky and mountainous habitats.