The Aoudad, often known as the Barbary Sheep, is a unique species of caprid that has captured attention far beyond its original home. It is recognized for its impressive horns and shaggy appearance. To fully understand the Aoudad’s place in the world, it is necessary to clarify its native geographic origins and contrast this with its current, much more widespread global distribution.
Defining the Aoudad
The Aoudad, or Ammotragus lervia, is recognized by its thick, backward-curving horns that are triangular in cross-section and can reach up to 80 centimeters in length in mature males. Both males and females possess these horns. Males are significantly larger than females, weighing up to 145 kilograms and standing approximately one meter tall at the shoulder.
The animal’s most distinguishing feature is the long, soft hair, or mane, that grows on the throat, neck, chest, and upper front legs. This dense, bristly coat is typically a sandy-gray to reddish-brown color, which provides excellent camouflage against the arid, rocky landscapes it inhabits. Aoudad are extremely agile climbers, utilizing sharp hooves and a powerful build to navigate the precipitous terrain of their preferred habitat.
The Native Home
The Aoudad is indigenous exclusively to the mountainous regions of North Africa, a range that historically spanned across the Sahara Desert and its fringes. This native distribution includes the Maghreb region and extends eastward toward the Red Sea Hills. Specifically, native populations are found or were historically present in countries such as Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Egypt, and Sudan.
Within this region, the Aoudad prefers rocky, arid mountains, including the vast Atlas Mountains and the barren, rugged terrain surrounding the Sahara. They are adapted to survive in areas with minimal rainfall, obtaining necessary moisture largely from their food sources. However, the species is classified as vulnerable in its native habitat, with an estimated population ranging from only 5,000 to 10,000 individuals. Habitat loss, competition with domestic livestock, and unregulated hunting have severely reduced their numbers in Africa. Despite its ancient roots in the African deserts, the Aoudad is now rare and declining across much of its original range.
Global Relocation and Current Distribution
While the Aoudad struggles in its native Africa, introduced populations are thriving globally, primarily due to intentional relocation for sport hunting. The most significant non-native population is found in the Southwestern United States, where the animals were first introduced to Texas in the late 1950s. Today, the U.S. population is estimated to be approximately 75,000 individuals, far exceeding the number in their home continent.
These populations are predominantly established across Texas, New Mexico, and California, inhabiting canyons and rugged terrain similar to their native environment. In these areas, the Aoudad is often considered a highly competitive species, posing a potential threat to native ungulates, such as the desert bighorn sheep, by competing for limited resources.
The species was also introduced in Southern Europe, specifically in Spain’s Sierra Espuña Regional Park in 1970. The Spanish populations, which have expanded into provinces like Murcia and Granada, have adapted well to the Mediterranean-like climate. The Aoudad has also established populations on the Canary Islands, particularly La Palma, where their grazing has caused serious damage to endemic vegetation.