Hunting

Aoudad

The Aoudad, or Barbary Sheep has been introduced to North America, southern Europe and elsewhere, where some populations of the Aoudad are now naturalised in the wild and others are preserved on game ranches for hunting. It is estimated that there are in excess of 30,000 naturalised Barbary Sheep living in the wild in Texas, though animal numbers could be much more.

This photograph is of an Aoudad, a Barbary Sheep at the Wildlife Ranch in San Antonio, TEXAS, USA.

Barbary Sheep

Barbary Sheep stand 80 to 100 cm (30 to 40 inches) tall at the shoulder and weigh 40 to 140 kg (90 to 310 lb). They are a sandy-brown color, darkening with age, with a slightly lighter underbelly and a darker line on the back. Upperparts and outer legs are 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 outwards, backwards then inwards, and reach up to 50 cm (20 inches). The horns are smooth, but wrinkled at the base.

Range of Barbary Sheep

Barbary sheep are found in northern Africa in Algeria, Tunisia, northern Chad, Egypt, Libya, northern Mali, Mauritania, Morocco (including Western Sahara), Niger and Sudan (west of Nile and east of Nile in the Red Sea Hills).

Barbary Sheep at Paignton Zoo, Devon, England. Photograph Credit: Adrian Pingstone in July 2003

Barbary Sheep Hunting

Barbary sheep hunting is becoming increasingly popular and there are many game ranches offering trophy Bighorn Aoudad Sheep hunting. Texas, USa is an established area for hunting Aoudad, where there are wild herds of Aoudad that roam free from stocks that were intoroduced to Texas in the1940's and 1950's.

Barbary Sheep Introduced Populations

Barbary sheep were introduced into southeastern Spain and southwestern United States (parts of Texas, New Mexico, California) and Mexico and in some parts of Africa.