A hardy and powerful wild goat that lives in the rugged mountains of Central and South Asia, from the Russian Altai to Mongolia, northern China, and parts of the Himalayas. It’s one of the largest species of wild goat in the world and is perfectly adapted to life in steep, rocky terrain. Its most striking feature is the massive, backward-curving horns that spiral out and up from the heads of adult males. These horns can grow over a meter long (more than 3 feet) and have prominent ridges that give them a ridged, armor-like appearance. Females also have horns, but they’re much shorter and thinner.

Siberian ibexes have a stocky, muscular body, thick legs, and large hooves with a rough underside — all designed for climbing rocky cliffs and slippery slopes with ease. Their coat changes with the seasons: in summer, it’s short and light brown; in winter, it becomes longer, thicker, and darker to protect it from freezing temperatures. Males grow a long beard on their chins, adding to their rugged, mountain-king appearance. These animals are generally shy and alert, often seen high above on rocky ridges where they can spot predators from a distance and escape quickly if needed.

Ibexes are social animals, but males and females live in separate groups for most of the year. Females gather in herds with their young, while males form bachelor groups or roam alone. They come together during the mating season in the winter when males fight impressive horn-to-horn battles to win the attention of females. These fights are intense but rarely deadly — the ibexes rear up and crash down with their horns in a dramatic display of strength and skill. Once the winter mating season ends, the males go back to their bachelor lifestyle until next year.

Distribution

Country

Population est.

Status

Year

Comments

Afghanistan

2020

China

2020

Gansu, Xinjiang

India

2020

Jammu-kashmir, Himachal Pradesh

Kazakhstan

2020

Kyrgyzstan

2020

Mongolia

2020

Pakistan

2020

Russia

2020

Tajikistan

2020

Uzbekistan

2020