Diet

What does the Nubian Ibex eat?

The Nubian ibex is a herbivore. It will feed on a range of herbaceous or woody plants, grasses and forbes. They may also browse for leaves and seed pods of selected trees. These are accessed by standing on their hind legs across the tree or even climbing a tree.

These animals may eat soil to supplement their mineral needs.

Learn more about the Nubian Ibex in this video from Nature on PBS on YouTube

Range

Where do you find the Nubian Ibex?

The Nubian Ibex is found in areas of Northern Africa and the middle East. Here they occur in the following countries - Egypt; Israel; Jordan; Oman; Saudi Arabia; Sudan and Yemen.

They are considered to be extinct in Lebanon. While they were driven to extinction in Syria they have since been reintroduced here.

Their current status in Eritrea and Ethiopia is uncertain and will require further research. No sightings from either of these countries have been recorded over the past 20 years.

Habitat

Where can the Nubian Ibex survive?

This species is found in areas of rocky desert areas. They are often seen in areas with steep slopes with their feet allowing them to scale these areas with ease.

Credit: Public Domain

Reproduction

How does the Nubian Ibex produce its young?

During the breeding season (October to December) the fur of the male along the neck, chest, sides and shoulders will turn to a dark brown or black color. During this time males will fight one another using their horns to push against one another.

Throughout the rut males are fully focused on breeding and may go long periods without eating.

A single infant is born after a 5 month gestation period. On rare occasions twins will be documented.

The female will give birth to her baby known as a kid away from the herd in a hidden location. It will remain here for a few days before joining the rest of the herd.

A number of females may deposit their kids in a shallow walled cliff where they are safe from predation. The young remain here with regular visits from the females to feed them. They will leave when they are able to scale the cliffs. Young can first scale cliffs from a few days old.

Young can be weaned in as little as 2 months.

Females become sexually mature by two years old while males do not reach this till between three and six years old.

Males will leave their birth group after around two years.

Behavior

What does the Nubian Ibex do during its day?

These animals spend most of their time on the cliffs which will keep them away from predators. They only come to the ground to seek out food.

Much of their grazing activities are undertaken by day. At night they will return to the safety of the cliffs. In cold weather they will seek a cave to rest in.

Nubian ibex will live in herds with up to 20 members. Females and their young will form one herd while bachelor herds form with the males.

Males face less risk of predation and as such can survive in smaller herds.

This species is mostly considered non-verbal but the females occasionally make a small bleating sound and males may click. For communication they mostly rely on visual and scent based cues.

The Nubian ibex maintains a relationship with the grackle. These birds help to remove parasites from their body.

Credit: Rhododendrites, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

Predators and Threats

What stops the Nubian Ibex from surviving and thriving?

Natural predators of the ibex include leopards, wolves, striped hyenas and birds such as vultures, eagles and owls.

One method of defense against predators is to rise up and show off their impressive horns.

Numbers of the Nubian ibex are considered to be in decline though further research in to their population is required. Current estimates place the full population at less than 5,000 across their entire range.

The largest threat facing the Nubian ibex across most of its range is hunting which is unregulated across most its range. While they have been provided legal protection in some areas this is rarely enforced.

Other threats include habitat degradation and competition with domestic livestock. Livestock also contribute to a reduction in available water which they require.

Due to the reduction in population experienced by this species they are now experiencing genetic isolation. This may also cause the population to succumb to disease outbreaks in a shorter timeframe.

This species is farmed in some areas for canned hunting operations.

Some efforts have been made to repatriate the species from captive collections to their natural range with some success among these populations.

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Quick facts

The Nubian ibex was first described for western science in 1825. They were originally listed with the alpine ibex (Capra ibex). Following further research they were listed as their own species.

In some areas they are known as the Arabian ibex.

Ibex comes from a Latin term referring to a goat with large horns.

Credit: Public Domain