Fact sheet Ibex Alpine ibex (Capra ibex) fact sheet Biology Status Distribution Management Conservation References Biology back to top Food: Ibex (Capra ibex) are strictly herbivorous. Their diet mainly consists of grass, moss, flowers and twigs, they also feed on shrubs. In wintertime their food is limited to old grass and cushion plants that are covered with snow Behaviour: Ibex are active during daytime. They eat in the morning hours and in the late afternoon. In summertime ibex descend from the high steep cliffs to find food on the alpine meadows. In wintertime ibex live at lower altitudes anyway since food is scarce. These animals get 10 years old on average. Males can live up to 19 years, females even 24 years. Ibex are good jumpers and sure-footed climbers. Habitus: Capra ibex has a compact body. The body-length is 115-170 cm. Its weight varies between 35 and 150 kg. The female is in general smaller and lighter than the male. Ibex characteristically have curved horns, which are mainly used in fights for social dominance, but they are also helpful in defence of predators. Female’s horns have a length of 35 cm and lack knots, males do have knots and the horns can grow up to one meter long. They develop throughout the life but at a slower pace with increasing age [Nievergelt 1966]. Each year 1-3 new knots develop. Beside horns, an other typical male feature is the small chin beard. Ibex’s fur is brownish and whitish at the belly. Older males have seasonal changes in their fur coloration: in late summer it appears ochre-brown to pale brown, in winter it is brighter. Females and young males have a bright ochre-brown to pale brown fur throughout the year. Kids’ fur is brighter. Reproduction: During summertime males and females live separately. Females form groups with their kids and males aggregate in bachelor herds. Group size varies from 2 to 20 animals. In late autumn, during rutting season, sexes mix. Males compete for females. Older males are bigger, stronger and have longer horns, therefore, they are higher in the rank order and win fights for females. If the female is ready for mating, the dominant male gets access to her. After 168 days, in June, the female leaves the group to give birth to one, seldom two, kids. Female reach sexual maturity at 3 to 5 years of age, whereas males hit puberty at the age of 2. Males don’t get chased away from their group. Habitat: Ibex live in alpine areas around 1’600-3’200 m above sea level. They prefer rocky steep areas with little to no rain. In April/May they dislocate to lower, grass richer regions, in summer they move back to higher altitudes, where they stay until October. Due to their higher need to drink in summer (every few days), they reside in the vicinity of a water source. Population densities vary widely and can range from 1 to 9 animals per square kilometre. Deep valleys and glaciers constitute the principal barriers for the movement of this animal explaining their extreme slowness in colonising new areas [Nievergelt 1966]. Distribution back to top file:///N|/MALME/_old_species/ibex/ibex.htm (1 von 4)06.05.2009 14:33:48 Fact sheet Ibex th Due to ibex' magnificent horns and the beliefs of their pharmaceutical effect, the species got eradicated. In the end of the 19 century they got extinct in the quasi-totality of Europe. Today’s populations of Capra ibex are discontinuously scattered in the European Alps, where they have been reintroduced to from a unique surviving population located in the Italian Gran Paradiso National Park [Baumgartner 2005]. Austria: All current populations originate from reintroductions, although not always into former or even suitable areas. The first colony was re-established in 1924 in the Blühnbach valley (Hagen mountains), followed by a second in Wilalpen. Nowadays ibex can be found in the Blühnbach valley, in the Northern Limestone Alps in Widalpen, in the Pitz and Kauner valleys of Tyrol and in the Styria (Hochlantsch massif) [Gossow and Zeiler 1997]. France: Ibex populations result from reintroduction or natural colonisation from Italy. They inhabit mountains along the eastern edge of the French Alps [Roucher 1997]. Germany: Ibex’ return in Germany results from both translocation and natural colonisation from Austria. Four Alpine ibex populations have been established in the south of Germany. Reintroduction has started only recently; the first took place in 1936 at Koenigsee/Berchtesgaden. The animals dispersed to the Austrian Bluebachtal and nowadays they straddle the German-Austrian border [Giacometti 1991 in Briedermann et al 1997]. Additional populations live in Jachenau, Oberaudorf [Buelow in Briedermann et al 1997]. A fourth, small population has established itself via natural dispersion from Kleines Walsertal (Austria) [Briedermann 1997]. Reintroduction was mostly carried out in areas considered suitable and not based on historic records [Graf and Schröder 1978 in Briedermann et al. 1997]. Italy: Most of Italians ibex inhabit Grand Paradiso National Park. There are discontinuously distributed populations along the northern boarder to Switzerland and France [Tosi and Lovari 1997]. Slovenia: Today ibex is found in the Slovene alps, primarily in the Karavanken mountains, the Kamnik alps and in Triglav National Park in the Julian alps [Krystufek et al. 1997]. Switzerland: Ibex is present throughout the Alp ranges. A single colony of ibex, numbering 20 individuals, exists in the Jura mountains in northern Switzerland. All available and suitable habitats for ibex in Switzerland are occupied [Baumgartner 2005]. Status back to top 40’000 animals are estimated to live in the European Alps nowadays [Baumgartner 2005]. Austria: According to Bauer [1992 in Gossow and Zeiler 1997] 3’300 ibex were estimated to live in the country. Concerns regarding genetic diversity exist (Least Concern). France: A total of about 2'260 animals were estimated in 1990 by a CNERA census [CNERA 1990 in Roucher 1997] (Least Concern). Germany: There are about 200-300 ibex living in Germany. They are fully protected by German law but, like most small and isolated populations, epizootics, stochastic events and inbreeding depression are usually potential threats [Briedermann et al. 1997] (Vulnerable). Italy: The number of ibex in Italy has increased about 63% from 1988 to 1999, passing from 4'500 individuals to 11’960 [Apollonio 2004]. In 2001, 69 colonies were found in the Italian Alps [OIKOS 2001]. Hybridation can be a threat where populations are small and sympatric with high densities of domestic goats [Randi et al. 1990 in Tosi & Lovari 1997] (Least Concern). Slovenia: Ibex were first introduced into the Karavanken mountains (Slowenian Alps) between 1890 and 1896 and the population had increased to 50-60 animals by 1916 before being badly decimated the same year due to military operations in the area. Prior to World War II, the colony rebounded only to be reduced once again, so that by the end of the war only 10 individuals survived. In the 1950s introductions began again and by 1989 a total of 237 ibex were counted [Krystufek et al. 1997]. file:///N|/MALME/_old_species/ibex/ibex.htm (2 von 4)06.05.2009 14:33:48 Fact sheet Ibex Switzerland: Since the beginning of the 1990s’ the population decreases; among others because of the lack of genetic diversity [Baumgartner 2005]. If in 1996 the population size in Switzerland counted more than 15’000 individuals, in 2005 it only consisted 13’200 animals [Baumgartner 2005] (Least Concern). Management back to top Austria: Small numbers of ibex are legally hunted each year, but only in few populations in the federal provinces of Styria and Tyrol [Gossow and Zeiler 1997]. New reintroductions’ potential site should be more thoughtfully evaluated. The total estimated carrying capacity of ranges in Austria is between 4’000 and 4’500 ibex [Bauer 1992 in Gossow and Zeiler 1997]. France: Three laws protect the ibex in France. They forbid each form of mutilation, destruction, capture, intentional perturbation, naturalisation, transport, detention, selling or buying parts of this species [La Venoise 2005]. Since nowadays the population is well installed and the reproduction rate high where ibex is abundant, the idea to declassify ibex from its protected status is discussed. The new management would very likely be similar to the Swiss one [La Venoise 2005]. Germany: According to Wiersma and Schröder [1985 in Briedermann et al. 1997] and to Graf and Schröder [1985 in Briedermann et al. 1997], there are only limited sites in Germany suitable for future ibex introductions, i. e. the potential to increase the number of populations is very small. Italy: A hunting management has been considered recently. If applied, it will very probably follow the Swiss concept [Apollonio 2004]. Slovenia: The populations are flourishing in all Alpine countries including Slovenia [FACE Europe diary]. Still, the population size only amounted to 237 animals in 1989, a management plan is not needed at the moment. Switzerland: Even though protected by law, the animal can be hunted. Approximately 1’000 animals have to be culled annually for maintaining healthy populations and preventing and minimising game damage to forests and agricultural areas [Giacometti 1997]. For each shooting, cantons have to ask for authorisation from the Federal Office for the Environment. Conservation back to top Nowadays, the alpine ibex could be considered as the ungulate with the highest difference between historical (or potential) and present distribution [Cholsy 1994]. The ibex is protected by the international law [SR 0.455 Berne Convention -Annex III] and, according to IUCN Red list, in 2006 the Alpine ibex is under lower risk and of Least Concern [http://www.iucnredlist.org].