New observations of the ‘extinct’ Barbary sheep Ammotragus lervia ornata in Egypt

Abstract

The Barbary sheep or aoudad Ammotragus lervia is widely distributed in the mountains of the Sahara and North Africa. The 2000 IUCN Red List assessment of the Egyptian subspecies A. l. ornata categorized this taxon as Extinct in the Wild. We present new evidence, collected during 1997–2000, that this subspecies is extant in both the extreme south-east and south-west of Egypt, and reassess the status of captive aoudad in Egypt. We recommend that the category of A. l. ornata on the IUCN Red List be changed to Critically Endangered, that conservation of wild aoudad in Egypt be prioritized, and that the subspecific status of both the wild and captive stocks in Egypt be reassessed.

Decline of the Barbary sheep (Ammotragus lervia) in Egypt during the 20th century: literature review and recent observations

“…In Gebel Elba, the presence of waddan was reported by locals (Baha El Din, 1997b) G. Mikhail collected further local reports about the presence of waddan in the region (Wacher et al, 2002).…”

“…At the end of the 20th century the subspecies Ammotragus lervia ornata was listed as being probably extinct in the wild in Egypt (Amer, 1997; IUCN, *E-mail: nicolas.manlius@wanadoo.fr 2000). Although this ungulate is extremely rare, it still seems to exist in Egypt (Wacher et al, 2002).…”

“…The works published by Kock (1971) and Osborn & Helmy (1980) were used as a starting point, and our own research as well as some recent unpublished sightings added. The possible presence of at least two sub-species of waddan in the country was not addressed (Wacher et al, 2002), as the discussion of this problem lay outside the scope of this paper. All sightings of A. lervia are indicated on a map ( Fig.…”

Can landscape use be among the factors that potentially make some ungulates species more difficult to conserve?

“…Habitat accessibility and vulnerability to hunting and anthropogenic disturbances may also apply to other endangered ungulate species that occur in open deserts, which have experienced drastic population declines and local extinctions (Ryder, 1987;Saleh, 1987;Newby, 1990;Thoules et al, 1991;Loggers et al, 1992;Magin and Greth, 1994;Hammond et al, 2001). Ibex and other species such as the Barbary sheep, Ammotragus lervia, probably have persisted in many of the same areas, despite population declines, because of their use of more rugged, inaccessible terrain (Loggers et al, 1992;Habibi, 1994;Wacher et al, 2002). Future studies should examine the role of habitat remoteness and off road vehicle accessibility on the vulnerability of a species to hunting and anthropogenic disturbances, with a focus on finding ways to minimize these disturbances.…”

Superovulation, in vivo Embryo Recovery and Cryopreservation for Aoudad (Ammotragus Lervia) Females Using Osmotic Pumps and Vitrification: A Preliminary Experience and its Implications for Conservation

“…Indeed, virtually all the information for this species comes from ex-situ populations, and unfortunately the good adaptation and reproduction of introduced and captive populations give a false sense of security regarding its conservation. Although A. l. ornatus had been considered extinct, an article in the last decade reported its presence in Egypt [5].…”