Aoudad/Barbary Sheep
(Ammotragus lervia)
Native
to the Atlas Mountains in northern Africa, the aoudad, or Barbary sheep, is
a relatively large sheep characterized by large, curved horns and long hair
on the throat, chest, and upper parts of the front legs. Their horns are honeycomb-shaped
inside with a rich blood supply, which aids in cooling the animal in the hot,
dry African climate. They are generally brownish-red or grayish-brown in color
with patches of white on the inner surface of the legs and the belly. Their
weight ranges from 80 to 300 lbs., and they stand three to four feet tall
at the shoulder. Due to hunting pressures, the population of Barbary sheep
has been depleted in Africa. It is listed as a vulnerable species by the World
Conservation Union. It is also included under the Convention on International
Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora’s Appendix III. The aoudad
was first brought to the United States in about 1900. In the 1950s, it was
released into the wild in New Mexico and Texas, where its population has skyrocketed
to over 20,000.
Barbary sheep are expert climbers and can negotiate extremely rough terrain, making them difficult to hunt. Because they are accustomed to climates in which there is little to no cover, their instinct is to “freeze” if disturbed rather than to run. Their coloring makes them difficult, if not impossible, to see. They feed on grasses, shrubs, and other vegetation. Capable of producing metabolic water, they can survive long periods when fresh water is unavailable.