The Spanish Ibex

 I was looking out at the mountain the other day just staring into space when I heard rocks falling. I looked up and saw some goats just crossing the hillside, nothing unusual in that. It was then I realized that I could not hear the sound of bells tinkling. I looked again, they were all the same colour, brown and beige with white rumps, as I looked more, appeared as if from the hillside they were so well camouflaged. In all there were six. At first I thought them to be small deer, but soon realized they were Ibex because two of them had the large turned back horns. Wow. I froze and watched some more, as they had not seen me. They continued to cross the scarp, then turned to climb up, running, skipping, jumping and grazing. A couple of young ones were play fighting as they ascended. When they reached the top, they took it in turn to roll in a dusty depression to have a dust bath. Two of the biggest sharpened their horns on a rock. As magically as they appeared, they disappeared over the ridge.

       

My neighbour Ana phoned me to tell me that she was looking out of her stable door that leads into a small coral at the back of the house when suddenly one appeared running along the wall at the back and was grazing the leaves of an almond tree. Then to her delight a tiny one followed. She has managed to get some photos. When they left, they crossed the scarp and others speared from the rocks.

       

Since then they have been seen almost every day, in the mornings and once in the afternoon.

      

I have never seen them here before. Normally they live high up in the mountains and seldom go below the tree line, they are very shy and stick to the wilderness. Have they come in search of food? Well, yes, Ana's were eating her tree, also water, as it is very hot and dry being the height of summer and a drought. Could they be misplaced because of all the road building crossing great tracts of the countryside?

 They are a protected animal, but are taken sometimes for food and trophies! They have a reputation for being magical, and parts of them are used in folk medicine!. I hope the hunters leave them alone, they have been mistaken for Wild Boar and shot.