The Barbary sheep is a species of caprid (goat antelope) native to rocky mountains in North Africa. Six subspecies have been described. Although it is rare in its native North Africa, it has been introduced to North America, southern Europe and elsewhere. It is also known as aoudad, waddan, arui, and arruis.
Description
Barbary sheep stand 80 to 100 cm (2.6 to 3.3 ft) tall at the shoulder and weigh 40 to 140 kg (88 to 309 lb). They are sandy-brown, darkening with age, with a slightly lighter underbelly and a darker line along the back. Upper parts and the outer parts of the legs are a uniform reddish brown or grayish brown. There is some shaggy hair on the throat (extending down to the chest in males) and a sparse mane. Their horns have a triangular cross section. The horns curve outward, backward, then inward, and can exceed 40 inches in length. The horns are fairly smooth, with slight wrinkles evident at the base as the animal matures.
Natural Range
Barbary sheep naturally occur in northern Africa in Algeria, Tunisia, northern Chad, Egypt, Libya, northern Mali, Morocco , Niger and Sudan (west of the Nile, and in the Red Sea Hills east of the Nile).
Habits
Barbary sheep are found in arid mountainous areas where they graze and browse grasses, bushes and lichens. They are able to obtain all their metabolic water from food, but if liquid water is available, they will drink and wallow in it. Barbary sheep are crepuscular. That is they are active in the early morning and late afternoon and rest in the heat of the day. They are very agile and can achieve a standing jump of over 2 metres (7 ft). They are well adapted to their habitat, which consist of steep rocky mountains and canyons. They often flee at the first sign of danger, typically running uphill. They are extremely nomadic and travel constantly via mountain ranges. Their main predators in North Africa were the Barbary Leopard, the Lion, and Caracal.
Hunting
With Allan Schenk Safaris these can be hunted in the Northern Cape of South Africa.
