Both males and females stand 54 to 65 centimetres (21 to 26 in) tall at the shoulder, measure 91 to 105 cm (36 to 41 in) in head-body length and weigh 13 to 16 kg (29 to 35 lb).

It is almost restricted to the Chinese provinces of Gansu, Xinjiang, Tibet, Qinghai, and Sichuan, with tiny populations in the Ladakh and Sikkim regions of India.

[2] Goas feed on a range of local vegetation, primarily forbs and legumes, supplemented by relatively small amounts of grasses and sedges.

The primary threats to the goa in China are loss of habitat, due to encroachment on their natural ranges by pastoralists and the expansion of agriculture in the western provinces.

[2] In Ladakh, they live at high altitudes (4,750-5,050 m or 15,580-16,570 ft), but prefer relatively flat areas with an affinity for warmer, south-facing slopes.

Within Ladakh, its distribution was spread as far west as the Tsokar Basin in the beginning of the 20th century, but today is confined to the Hanle Valley and the neighbouring areas, such as Chumur.

[6][7] A small population also exists in northern Sikkim, right at the border between India and Chinese-controlled territories, apparently moving back and forth between the countries.