Barbary sheep
The Barbary sheep is indigenous to the Sahara and its sub-Saharan fringes. It can be found in suitable mountain habitats throughout the region, from the Atlantic coast to the Red Sea, and from the Mediterranean Atlas Mountains to the escarpments of the northern Sahel.
Weighing up to 145kg, the Barbary sheep (or aoudad), is a rarely seen denizen of the Sahara’s mountains. Russet or brown in colour, the long mane and chaps are distinguishing marks. Horns are present in both sexes, with those of the male large and heavily keeled in mature animals.
This shy animal generally lives in extended family groups of up to six or seven individuals. Although able to exploit high mountain water sources unattainable to other large mammals, they also live in areas where there is no permanent water, obtaining moisture from the plants they eat.
Barbary sheep will shelter from the midday heat and wind behind boulders, in caves or on sheltered plateaus. They love to dust themselves in specially excavated scrapes. If disturbed, they quickly flee for rocky slopes and safety.
ID card
Scientific name:
Ammotragus lervia
IUCN Red list status :
Vulnerable
How many left in the wild:
Between 5,000 and 10,000.
Geographic distribution:
Formerly widespread in rugged and mountainous terrain from deserts and semi-deserts to open forests in North Africa, they can now be found along the whole Atlas Mountain Range, from Morocco to north Algeria and Tunisia.
Threats and challenges
In large protected areas, such as the Ahaggar and Tassili National Parks in southern Algeria, barbary sheep populations are healthy and may number several thousand head.
But in spite of the resilience and rock-loving habits, Barbary sheep are extremely vulnerable and many small, isolated populations have either been wiped out by hunting or are in a critical state. The spread of automatic weapons throughout the Sahara, coupled with insecurity in many mountainous areas, has resulted in serious declines in many places. When water is available, after rainfall or from springs and mountain pools, they are extremely vulnerable to hunters, especially during the hot season. Traditional hunters will set foot traps in the vicinity of drinking holes and build blinds from which to shoot passing animals.
They have also been suffering from the increasing competition with domestic livestock.
