Situation in Spain
The Barbary Sheep (Ammotragus lervia, also called Aoudad and Arui) is (or barbary sheep 'Ammotragus lervia) was introduced in Spain in the Sierra de la Espuña National Park in 1970 for hunting purposes. This desert animal has adapted well to the arid conditions in south-eastern Spain, has expanded, and is now present in Murcia and Almeria, with small population in Alicante, formed by escapees from a hunting estate. Its numbers in Spain reached an initial peak in the 1990s but were then severely checked by an outbreak of mange, from which it had now recovered. Recent reports note that the Spanish Ibex is in danger of being displaced by the arrui. There is also a released population on La Palma in the Canary Island. An issue is the controls on big game estates to prevent animals from escaping. Climate change no doubt bodes well for the species in Spain.
Spanish translation
Barbary sheep : Arrui (Ammotragus lervia)
External links
Expansión del arrui (El Mundo) |