Time Budgets and Ethological Observations of Wild and Enclosed Grey Goral

Abstract

Observations on time budget were conducted on a group of 4 Himalayan grey goral (2 adults and 2 sub-adults), in a 3 ha enclosure, in a semi-natural goral habitat. Round the clock observations for 3 consecutive days during August 2001 suggested that sub-adults spent 33.5%, 12.2%, 20.2%, 22.2% and 7.9% and adults 24.9%, 26.5%, 14.1%, 8.1% and 13.4% of time in sleeping, ruminating, resting, feeding and social activities, respectively. They spent the major part of the night sleeping, showed a diurnal feeding behaviour and rested during the hotter part of the day. Field observations showed that goral remained vigilant while feeding, ruminating and resting. Drinking from running water, rather than from a pool, was preferred.