Barbary Sheep or Audad

The barbary sheep, also known as the audad, is native to the North African countries of Algeria, Tunisia, Egypt, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, Niger, northern Chad, northern Mali and Sudan. They were found in rugged and mountainous terrain and even in open forests. They are now very rare in their original range. There is an estimated population in Morocco of 800 to 2,000, several thousand in Algeria, and 4,200 in Niger. However, they have been introduced to southeastern Spain and the southwestern U.S. where they have become quite common in certain areas. 

Barbary sheep or audad

The barbary sheep has distinctive shaggy hair on the throat which extends down to the chest in males. The horns curve outwards, backwards and then inwards. 

When we visited Fossil Rim Wildlife Center in Glen Rose, Texas we encountered a number of them clumped together near a cross-road on a hill. They were quite aggressive in coming to our open windows for food.