Game hunting in Africa: The Aoudad

The aoudad, also referred to as the Barbary sheep, is a mammal native to North Africa’s rocky mountain regions. Indigenous to Northern Africa, while bred and hunted as an exotic species in SA and USA, this game hunting specimen is a rare species to add to your trophy room. It is classified by the IUCN as “vulnerable” with declining numbers.

This agile sheep inhabits dry, mountainous, arid regions where it lives in small groups. Their groups consist of a dominant male, together with several females and their young. Breeding takes place throughout the year, with females able to bear two litters per year. The peak breeding period is September-November, with the gestation period roughly 154-161 days. Typically, one lamb is born, although twins are not uncommon.

This mammal is herbivorous, and their diet includes grass, shrubs, flowers, leaves, and young plants.

They are hunted by lions, leopards, and caracals. When threatened, they don’t run but stand dead still, in an effort to blend in and camouflage themselves.