He looks like a muskox, moose and wildebeest rolled into one — but this burly addition to Winnipeg's Assiniboine Park Zoo is an endangered species called a takin.

The rare male Sichuan takin currently taking up residence beside the zebras at the zoo has people and fellow beasts alike doing a double-take.

Quinton, a male Sichuan takin at Winnipeg's Assiniboine Park Zoo, should welcome a female breeding partner next year.
(CBC)

The 295-kilogram animal, which zoo staff have named Quinton, is native to the Himalayan mountains of China and Nepal. Takins are part of the goat and antelope families and graze on the same bamboo forests as giant pandas.

Quinton comes to Winnipeg via the Minnesota zoo, curator Bob Wrigley said Wednesday. A female takin is expected to arrive next year as part of a special breeding program.

"We're one of about eight zoos now that have this very rare species," Wrigley said Wednesday. "There's only about 5,000 of this race left in the wild, so it's very important that we breed them."

Quinton can reach nearly three metres on his long hind legs, making him a joy for zoo visitors to see, Wrigley said.

"Sometimes I like to just stand near the exhibit and watch the public walk by," he said. "Quinton is quite interested in the public, so he often walks over and takes a good look."