so far away! Women do not shoot and it would appear that it is chiefly men who
form the enthusiastic crowds watching the contests. We enjoyed observing archery
contests in several towns and cities. It seemed to us that Bhutan should do very well in the
archery competitions of the Olympics since they excel at these distances which are longer
than those required in the Games.
WHAT ELSE MAKES BHUTAN DIFFERENT?
The national animal is the takin a bovine species existing nowhere else in the world. It looks
a little like a bison, but it is smaller. The color of its coat is yellowish-brown and it is
luxuriously curly. The takin’s face is rather sweet but not particularly intelligent looking.
Both male and female have swept-back horns, though the males are quite a bit more
formidable.
The takin is connected with one of the most important lamas in Bhutanese history: the
“Divine Madman,” Lama Drukpa Kunley. It is said that he actually created the takin from the
skeleton of a cow and the head of a goat—one of his many miracles to convince the
people of his powers. As a possible support for this theory of the animal’s origin, even
today taxonomists are befuddled as to exactly where the takin should be placed among the
cow-like and/or goat- like creatures, and some question if it is actually either one!
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