Nubian ibex
The Nubian ibex (Capra nubiana) is a threatened wild goat species estimated to number just a few thousand mature individuals across North Africa and the Middle East.
They are the world’s smallest ibex and are incredibly agile, adapted to steep mountainous terrain. Males grow large, curving horns and long brown beards as they age. The horns can grow to over a metre long!
The species is facing several threats including competition with livestock, such as goats and camels, habitat loss and hunting. Existing populations are fragmented, with little known about their genetics. The Omani population is particularly isolated, with large stretches of desert separating it from all other Nubian ibex populations.
Since 2018, RZSS WildGenes has worked with Dr Mataab Al-Ghafri to reveal large genetic differences between the Nubian ibex kept in captive collections and those in the wild in Oman, suggesting a taxonomic review is urgently required.
This work is now being used to inform conservation breeding in Oman as well as management decisions regarding future conservation translocations and reintroductions.
Our Partners and Funders
Project type
Conservation genetics
The team
Dr Alex Ball
Conservation programme manager (RZSS WildGenes)
Dr Helen Senn
Head of conservation and science programmes
Liz Heap
Senior lab technician (RZSS WildGenes)
Project updates
Date: October 2024
A new paper published by Dr Maatab Al-Ghafri and RZSS WildGenes in the journal Conservation Genetics Resources reports on Dr Al-Ghafri’s recent work assessing the genetic structure of Oman’s wild and captive Nubian ibex populations. The data provided in the paper is supporting management decisions for the Nubian ibex in Oman and highlights the need for an urgent taxonomic review.
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