Barbary sheep  (Ammotragus lervia)

The sole wild sheep of Africa has been heavily impacted by both extensive hunting and competition with livestock (2) (4), resulting in an alarming decline in numbers and the disappearance of this species entirely from some areas (4) (5). The Barbary sheep is an important source of meat and hides for many of the native people of the Sahara (5), and expanding human populations have not only led to an increase in hunting, but has reduced suitable habitat for the sheep as logging, agriculture and grazing expands into the mountainous areas (6).

The Egyptian subspecies (Ammotragus lervia ornata) was, like all Barbary sheep, reduced significantly in number by hunting and competition with livestock and feral camels (6), to the point where no more were believed to exist in the wild (1). However, there is some evidence, collected between 1997 and 2000, that the Egyptian Barbary sheep persists in the southwest and southeast of Egypt, meaning that the IUCN classification of Extinct in the Wild may no longer be valid (7).

While the Barbary sheep is protected by law throughout most of its range, the lack of enforcement of these laws is a serious problem for the conservation of this species (6). This relates to the unfortunate fact that most countries in which the Barbary sheep occurs have little funds available to conserve these animals (6). For the Egyptian subspecies, confirming whether it does still exist in the wild is clearly a priority, followed by the effective protection of any populations that do remain (7). Giza Zoo in Egypt holds a population of Barbary sheep, which may be used in the future in reintroduction programmes. The Egyptian Wildlife Service, in co-operation with the zoo, has already identified some areas for possible reintroductions (6).