Siberian Ibex (Irad)

The Siberian ibex (Capra sibirica; Iradi: teke for the male) is a wild goat of the mountains of Central Asia and the most numerous large wild hoofed animal in Irad's high ranges. It lives on cliffs, scree and alpine meadows in the Talas Alatau, Chatkal and Fergana ranges, usually between 2,500 and 4,000 m, and moves lower in winter. Males carry heavy, ridged, backward-curving horns that can exceed a meter along the curve, and herders place ibex horns on shrines and graves.^[1] The ibex is the main prey of the snow leopard. The IUCN lists the species as Least Concern, but local numbers have fallen through poaching, and hunting is licensed in the ISEZ and regulated by clan councils in the tribal regions.^[1]

References

1. ^ Department of Zoology, Talas State University (2019). Mammals of the Talas Alatau and Chatkal Ranges. Talas: Talas State University Press, pp. 121–134.