Takin Raincoat

The takin creates its own raincoat. Pronounced “tah-kin” like you’re talkin’ about the takin, it has the distinct honor of secreting an oily, bitter, burning-tasting substance that acts as a natural repellant from any water falling on its hair. 

The national animal of the Land of the Thunder Dragon, Bhutan to English speakers, the takin is an unusual amalgamation. The takin has the nose of a moose, the horns of a wildebeest, the tail of a bear, and the body of a bison. It ruminates using more than one stomach like cattle and sheep, communicates with body language and growls like a bear, and is referred to as a goat antelope or gnu-goat, just to jumble as many large mammals into one animal as possible. Perhaps the takin was the crowning event in large mammal creation. Takins are about four feet tall and seven feet long with split hooves and can have long golden or dark brown hair. Nimble leaping from rock to rock, takins live in family groups in the Himalayan forests of Bhutan, Tibet, India, Myanmar, and China where I’m sure it comes in handy to have a raincoat to protect against the wet windy cold.

Sources:
Meet the Takin: The Largest Mammal You’ve Never Heard Of
Sichuan Takin Facts