A WILD SHEEP SPECIES NATIVE TO CYPRUS
NATIVE TO CYPRUS
The Cypriot mouflon (Ovis gmelini) is a wild sheep that is native to Cyprus. Thought to be the ancestor of the modern domestic sheep breeds other species of the animal are also found in parts of Europe, as well as the Caspian region that includes eastern Turkey, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia and Iran.Â
THE LARGEST WILD ANIMALON THE ISLAND
Currently, the Cyprus mouflon population exceeds 3,000 on the island. It is smaller than its European and Asian counterparts, but it is the largest wild animal on the island. Mainly found in the Paphos forest, males can weigh up to 35 kg and have a shoulder height of up to 75 cm. Females are smaller and typically weigh up to 25 kg. A black line running from its head through the back to the tail allows this graceful animal to instantly blend into the forest. Mouflons have been known to live up to 15 years and they have inhabited the island since the Neolithic period. Mosaics and texts, from the Greco-Roman era, depict hunting scenes involving mouflons.
A DIVERSE FEEDING RANGE
It is not uncommon for a male mouflon to have a whole harem of females during the mating season. These females typically give birth to a single offspring during late April to early May. The feeding range of the mouflon is diverse. The animal feeds on grass, field plants, various berries, wheat sprouts, and tree foliage. Herds of the mouflon have been known to raid farms because of this. When this occurs, farmers receive compensation for the damages because these incursions are considered calamities on par with droughts, frosts, and floods!
