Aoudads (Barbary Sheep)

— Earlier this year, I went for a day hike at Pedernales Falls SP. The park tends to get a lot of visitors on weekends because of its proximity to Austin, Texas. However, during the week, one can enjoy the park trails with hardly anyone around. Late that afternoon, my friend and I were waiting for the sun to set near the Pedernales River swimming area in the park when he pointed out some animals way in the distance. With the sun low on the horizon and the color of the grass mixing in with the animal colors, it was hard to identify what we were looking at. Thanks to my zoom lens, I was able to get a few shots for later identification. The animals appeared to be in the deer family, but they were a bit larger. Also, their horns were entirely different and more like bighorn sheep. To give you an idea of their size, I learned that male aoudads can weigh as much as 320 lbs (145 kg). Their horns curve outward, backward, then inward, and can exceed 30 in (76 cm) in length according to Wikipedia.

At home, I was able to upload one image to iNaturalist to find out what those animals were. Mystery solved! They are called aoudads or barbary sheep and are native to the dry mountains of North Africa. What are they doing in Central Texas? Well, it so happens that these animals are becoming rare in their native habitat. Wikipedia says that they are now found in North America, Europe, and other places. That piqued my curiosity and led me to do more research.

When a species is moved from its natural habitat, it often causes unexpected results. In plain and simple terms, they merely tend to become an invasive species. That is the case of aoudads. Take, for example, what is happening in the Canary Islands. Aoudads have become a “serious threat to endemic vegetation,” says Wikipedia.

Fast forward one month, when my husband and I were spending a week in the Davis Mountains area. After finishing our hike on the Indian Lodge trail, from the corner of my eyes, I spotted some movement above in the mountains near the parking lot. Having just seen similar animals a month earlier, I was nearly sure those were also aoudads. I asked a nearby ranger and she confirmed my suspicion. The herd was larger than the one I had seen at Pedernales Falls SP.

According to the Texas Invasive Species Institute, Barbary sheep were introduced to the USA in the 1900s. Back then, they were mostly exotic animals kept in private land and zoos. By the middle of the 20th century, aoudads were released “into the wild” causing their increase in number. This growth reached a point such that hunting permits were “made available in 1963 to control the population.” In the United States, one can find aoudads primarily in the southwest, such as in the Chinati Mountains, Guadalupe Mountains National Park, Palo Duro Canyon State Park, the Trans-Pecos region, and other parts of Texas and New Mexico according to Wikipedia.

Aoudads are causing problems to native species in Texas, such as mule deer and bighorn sheep. They share the same habitat and compete for food. Once again, I quote the Texas Invasive Species Institute: “Barbary sheep are known to be aggressive and territorial with the ability to climb and evade predators successfully. They also live in packs comprised of mature and immature members allowing a pack size advantage over the native bighorn sheep.”

On January 13, 2020, there was an article on The Atlantic regarding aoudads in Texas: “Texas Can’t Quit the Aoudad.” That article brings up some interesting points about the increasing population of aoudads versus bighorn sheep in West Texas. The article says that a “2018 census found nearly 5,000 aoudads populating two mountain ranges in West Texas” compared to a bighorn population of “about 1,500 across 11 mountain ranges.”

I encourage you to read The Atlantic article if you want to expand your knowledge on this problem and see how ranchers’ and state officials’ opinions collide on what needs to be done. An easy solution is most certainly not in sight.