# Ibex — Facts, Threats & Conservation

*Capra ibex (Linnaeus, 1758)*

> Ibex are wild mountain goats of the genus Capra; the Alpine ibex (Capra ibex) is Least Concern after recovery from near extinction, with males carrying curved horns up to a metre long on cliffs across Europe and Asia.

**IUCN status:** Least Concern (IUCN, 2015) — Alpine ibex  ·  **WARN range:** Alps, Central Asia, Middle East, North Africa, Ethiopia

## Quick facts
| Fact | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Weight | 35–100 kg (varies by species and sex) |
| Horns | Up to ~1 m in Alpine ibex males |
| Habitat | Steep mountain cliffs and alpine meadows |
| Diet | Grazer — grasses, herbs, mosses, lichens |
| Recovery | Alpine ibex restored from near extinction to 50,000+ |
| CITES | Varies by species and population |

## Scientific classification
- **Kingdom:** Animalia
- **Phylum:** Chordata
- **Class:** Mammalia
- **Order:** Artiodactyla
- **Family:** Bovidae
- **Genus:** Capra
- **Species:** Capra ibex (Linnaeus, 1758)

## Conservation status
- **Status:** Alpine ibex Least Concern (IUCN, 2015). Walia ibex Endangered.
- **Population:** Over 50,000 Alpine ibex; Walia ibex roughly 1,200
- **Trend:** Increasing for Alpine ibex; stable for Walia ibex after recovery
- **Assessed:** 2015 (Alpine ibex)
- **CITES:** Varies by species

## Key facts: Ibex
- Ibex are wild goats of the genus Capra, adapted to steep mountain terrain.
- Alpine ibex males carry horns up to a metre long, curved backwards.
- The Alpine ibex was hunted to near extinction before nineteenth-century protection.
- Nubian ibex, Siberian ibex and Walia ibex are separate species with different ranges.
- Ibex graze alpine meadows and visit salt licks; split hooves grip cliff faces.
- Competition with livestock and hunting threaten ibex in parts of Africa and Asia.

## Ibex species across three continents
The genus Capra includes ibex and related wild goats across Europe, Asia and Africa. The Alpine ibex (C. ibex) inhabits the Alps and reintroduced populations in Slovenia, Austria and Bulgaria. The Nubian ibex (C. nubiana) ranges across the Middle East; the Siberian ibex (C. sibirica) across Central Asia; the Walia ibex (C. walie) is endemic to Ethiopia's Simien Mountains and is Endangered. The Spanish ibex (C. pyrenaica) includes several subspecies, one of which — the Pyrenean ibex — was the first animal to go extinct twice.

All ibex share muscular bodies, short legs, split hooves with rubbery pads and horns that grow throughout life.

## Life on the cliff edge
Ibex exploit terrain too steep for most predators. They graze grasses, herbs, mosses and lichens on alpine meadows, moving to cliff ledges to rest and escape wolves, leopards and eagles.

Males and females form separate herds for much of the year, joining during the rut when males clash horns in spectacular fights. Horns are used for display and combat, not defence against predators. Salt licks draw ibex to predictable locations, where they have been hunted historically. In winter, ibex descend to lower slopes where snow is less deep.

## Recovery and reintroduction
The Alpine ibex was reduced to a single valley — Italy's Gran Paradiso — by the 1820s before hunting bans and protected areas allowed recovery to over 50,000 individuals. Reintroduction programmes spread ibex across the Alps and into Slovenia and Austria. Similar efforts helped the Spanish ibex and Nubian ibex in some areas. The Walia ibex of Ethiopia recovered from roughly 250 to over 1,200 after Simien Mountains National Park protection, but remains Endangered. These recoveries demonstrate that mountain ungulates can rebound when hunting stops and habitat is secured.

## Current threats
Most ibex species are Least Concern or Near Threatened after recovery. Persistent threats include competition with domestic goats and sheep for grazing, habitat fragmentation from roads and ski development, and illegal hunting in Central Asia and the Middle East. Climate change may shift alpine vegetation zones, altering ibex forage. The Walia ibex remains Endangered with a small, isolated population. CITES regulates trade in some Capra species. Maintaining protected areas and managing livestock grazing are essential for long-term ibex persistence.

## Related WARN guides
Ibex are mountain goats — read WARN's markhor guide for Asian wild caprids, deer page for other hoofed mammals, and snow leopard guide for alpine predators.

Lynx and wolf pages cover carnivores in ibex range.

Reintroduction success in the Alps shows ibex can recover with protection.

## What WARN does
WARN publishes this ibex guide as free public education. Mountain wildlife recovery stories like the Alpine ibex show what legal protection and habitat stewardship can achieve.

If this guide helps you understand wildlife and the pressures it faces, a gift to WARN supports habitat protection and free public education in our partner countries.

## Frequently asked questions: Ibex
### What is the difference between an ibex and a goat?
Ibex are wild goats of the genus Capra. Domestic goats (Capra hircus) descend from the wild bezoar ibex (C. aegagrus). Ibex retain wild behaviour, larger horns and adaptation to cliff terrain.

### How long are ibex horns?
Alpine ibex males carry horns up to about a metre long, curved backwards. Horns grow throughout life and are used in rutting fights. Female ibex have smaller horns or none, depending on species.

### Are ibex endangered?
The Alpine ibex is Least Concern with over 50,000 individuals after recovery. The Walia ibex of Ethiopia is Endangered. Status varies by species.

### Where do ibex live?
Ibex inhabit mountain ranges across Europe (Alps), Asia (Himalayas, Central Asia), the Middle East, North Africa (Barbary sheep) and Ethiopia (Walia ibex).

### What do ibex eat?
Ibex graze grasses, herbs, mosses, lichens and shrubs on alpine meadows and cliff ledges. They visit mineral licks for salt and minerals.

### Can ibex climb cliffs?
Yes. Ibex are among the most sure-footed mammals, using split hooves with rubbery pads to grip near-vertical rock faces that exclude most predators.

## Sources
- [IUCN Red List — Capra ibex](https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/42397/106957516)
- [IUCN Red List — Capra walie (Walia ibex)](https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/3787/22183844)
- [Encyclopaedia Britannica — ibex](https://www.britannica.com/animal/ibex)

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Full guide: https://worldanimalrescuenetwork.org/wildlife-guides/ibex