Context: Recently, a study was conducted by scientists of the Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) which has proved that the Himalayan Ibex is a distinct species from the Siberian Ibex.
About the Study

• The paper, ‘Genetic evidence for allopatric speciation of the Siberian Ibex (Capra sibirica) in India,’ has recently been published in Endangered Species Research, an international peer-reviewed journal.
• The researchers, under a project funded through the National Mission on Himalayan Studies implemented by the Ministry of Environment, undertook field surveys and collected faecal samples from Lahaul and Spiti, Himachal Pradesh.
• Himalayan Ibex is distributed in the trans-Himalayan ranges of Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh and Himachal Pradesh up to the river Sutlej.

About Himalayan Ibex

• It is listed as Least Concern species as per IUCN Red List.
• The Himalayan Ibex male is distinguished from other ibex because of his characteristic horn and beard.
• The Ibex does not always migrate to lower heights in winter and mostly stays at fairly high altitude using wind-blown ridges.
• It is found in the Trans Himalayas region of Ladakh and the Greater Himalayas and Pir Panjals of Jammu & Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh.
• It is protected under Schedule I of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.

Threats: Poaching also occurs in some areas by military personnel, road maintenance workers, and others, especially in areas accessible by vehicle.
About Siberian Ibex

• It is a wild goat species which is listed as Least Concern as per IUCN Red List.
• It is distributed in diverse habitats, ranging from cold deserts, rocky outcrops, steep terrain, high-land flats and mountain ridges to low mountains and foothills.
• Its distribution extends from Mongolia towards Altai, Hangai, Gobi-Altai, the Hurukh mountain ranges as well as Sayan Mountains near Russia.
• Its Distribution: In Asia, Most Siberian ibexes are seen in central and northern Asia, Afghanistan, western and northern China (Primarily Xinjiang), north-western India, south-eastern Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, eastern Uzbekistan, Mongolia, northern Pakistan, and south-central Russia.

About National Mission on Himalayan Studies 

• Implemented by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.
• Vision: To support the sustenance and enhancement of the ecological, natural, cultural, and socioeconomic capital assets and values of the IHR. 
• Mission: To launch and support innovative studies and related knowledge interventions (that do not tread on the beaten path) towards the sustenance and enhancement of the ecological, natural, cultural, and socio-economic capital assets and values of the IHR. 
• The Indian Himalayan Region (IHR) is the section of the Himalayas within India, spanning 10 Indian states (administrative regions) namely, Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh and West Bengal of Indian Republic.

The NMHS envisages to work towards a set of linked and complementary goals including 

• Fostering conservation and sustainable management of natural resources, 
• Enhancing supplementary and/or alternative livelihoods for IHR peoples and overall economic and ecological well-being of the region, 
• Controlling and preventing pollution in the region, 
• Fostering increased/augmented human and institutional capacities and the knowledge and policy environments in the region, 
• Strengthening, greening, and fostering development of climate-resilient core infrastructure and basic services assets.