[3] It occurs in Pakistan, India, Nepal, Bhutan, Myanmar, and in China in the provinces of Gansu, Ningxia, Sichuan, Tibet, and Inner Mongolia.

[5][6] A study working from mitochondrial DNA suggested that the Bharal is more closely related to the goats (Capra sp.)

It apparently inhabited low, arid, grassy slopes of the upper Yangtze gorge in Batang County of the Sichuan Province, and a small part of the Tibet Autonomous Region.

Its coat was described as a steely grey with a silvery sheen, with darker general colouration than the bharal, and the horns of the male were smaller, thinner and more upright, with no inward curl.

Due to their excellent camouflage and the absence of cover in their environment, bharal remain motionless when approached.

Once they have been noticed, however, they scamper up to the precipitous cliffs, where they once again freeze, using camouflage to blend into the rock face.

[5] Bharal are mainly grazers, but during times of scarcity of grass, they switch to browsers, eating forbs and shrubs.

During the rut, male bharal use multiple strategies for mating, namely tending, blocking, and coursing.

issues of crop damage caused by bharal have started to arise in areas such as the Spiti Valley.