8 May 2019

Mosor and Biokovo Mountains, Croatia

I went to Croatia between April 24th and 27th 2019. I had two days for Aoudad, one for Balkan Chamois and one morning for Mouflon. Here is my illustrated report: http://www.wilddocu.de/mosor-and-biokovo-mountains-croatia/

Thanks for your interest, Ralf

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10 Comments

  • 10 May 2019
    jeroen

    With all respect, but to me this feels a bit like an advertisement for a potential wolfkiller that shows people introduced animals. Anyone?

  • 10 May 2019
    Boeckli

    There is no reason to advertise my guide Miro. I just recommend him if you want to see Aoudad, Mouflon and Chamois in Croatia and if you want to broaden your horizon and have an open ear for people in the country side who have to deal with wolves in their daily lives. Introduced animals: Chamois is native, but was extirpated. Mouflon was probably introduced around 2000 years ago. Aoudad is not an invasive species at Mosor – and I am very happy to see this species in Europe … just wait a few more decades of political unrest and climate change in Africa and what is left then. Best regards, Ralf

  • 10 May 2019
    jeroen

    With introduced I was only pointing at the aoudad. Good point about its future in Africa. Mouflon (eastern type) might have been native too once I think? I still do not like the idea of hunters who would love to kill wolves so they can shoot more of their introduced trophy game though. Best regards, Jeroen.

    • 10 May 2019
      Mattia from Italy

      Absolutely no. Mouflon is a very ancient breed of sheep brought to Sardinia during Neolithic age from Anatolia. No fossil bones of Mouflon have ever been found in Europe. And, during historic (mostly Phoenician and Roman) and modern times, it has been introduced to Corsica and other Mediterranean places for various reasons.

      By the way, Italy is the only European place with Crested Porcupine because Romans introduced them in Italy because, at that time, it was a food delicacy. Romans used to bred even Western and Eastern Hedgehogs.

  • 10 May 2019
    jeroen

    ‘No fossil bones of Mouflon have ever been found in Europe.’
    Ik knew that they were introduced a long time ago, I just thought I red somewhere that hey once lived in the Balkans too. I guess that information was wrong or they ment pleistocene times?
    But Walkers mammals says ‘Ovis orientalis… probably in the Crimea and Carpathian mountains until about 3000 years ago…’, that’s Europe too right, so now I am even more confused…

    • 13 May 2019
      Mattia from Italy

      The (few) fossil bones from ice age found in Europe regard an extinct “mountain sheep” and not Ovis orientalis. Paitings in Spanish caves depict Ibex females or maybe this “mountain sheep”. Surely no Ovis sp. lived in Europe after the ice age.

      Mouflon is now very widespread: it has been reintroduced even in Hawaii and Kerguelen island (!).

  • 11 May 2019
    Antee

    Calm down please.

    Ralf did a very clear message with his information about the place and about the guide. Then it is up to everyone if you find this attractive or not.

    It is not Ralf who hate Wolves…

    Come on now. I have met a few guides as “Wolf-haters” myself during my years and others who favour shooting animals for various reasons.
    You mean I shouldn´t write Trip reports when having guides like this?

    Should mammalwatching take away every single report from Marrick game Farm – South Africa as well? Who is largely a game hunting farm with introduced animals and not for mammalwatching?

    You have a very rude tone against Ralf and I don´t think it´s fair as he only gave as much information he should do for an informative trip report.

    Let´s be friends 🙂

  • 13 May 2019
    Vladimir Dinets

    There are Early Pleistocene fossils of large argali-type Ovis from France, and early Late Pleistocene ones from the Crimea, but nothing younger than 100,000 years. I don’t know what the claim about the Carpathians is based on. Extensive Late Pleistocene fossil assemblages in Romania and elsewhere in Europe don’t include any sheep, unless I’ve missed something.

    As for aoudad going extinct in North Africa, it’s possible, of course, but there are huge introduced populations in North America, Spain etc. I don’t know if they are sourced from the same subspecies as the one in Croatia.

  • 13 May 2019
    Jerzy

    It is first time I hear that Aoudad are living wild in Croatia. I presume this is a small group not yet treated as established or ‘tickable’.

  • 13 May 2019
    jeroen

    Thanks Mattia, Jon and Vladimir.
    So my Walkers mammals claiming ‘Ovis orientalis… probably in the Crimea and Carpathian mountains until about 3000 years ago…’ was pretty wrong then… strange.

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