With its striking colouration and magnificent, arching horns, the walia ibex (Capra walie) is an unforgettable sight as it roams the jagged mountain cliffs of northern Ethiopia. These sturdy animals have a beautiful chocolate-brown to chestnut-brown coat that is greyish-brown around the muzzle, paler grey around the eyes, legs and rump, and whitish on the belly and inside of the legs. Contrasting black and white markings pattern the legs and mature males boast a distinguishing black beard. Both males and females possess horns, but the males' are much larger and more imposing, curving backwards in an elegant arc over the body, sometimes reaching lengths of over 110 cm. Females are smaller than males and paler in colour, with shorter, thinner horns. The differentiation between species and subspecies status in ibexes is very controversial and remains somewhat debated, with all species previously classified under Capra ibex. |
