The regional government of Murcia is planning to ask the Ministry of Ecological Transition to remove the barbary sheep from its list of “invasive species” after a decade-long saga which resulted first in an order to exterminate the colony of the majestic animals which lives in the regional park of Sierra Espuña and then in a partial reprieve which means limited numbers will be allowed to remain.
Antonio Luengo, the minister for Fishing, Agriculture and the Environment in Murcia, explains that if the request is granted it will mean that the species will be allowed to inhabit all areas of the Region, rather than only those where it was being hunted in 2007 as is currently the case.
The Barbary sheep (Ammotragus lervia) was first introduced into the mountains of Sierra Espuña in 1970 in order to create a national hunting reserve, and the population grew despite suffering a severe outbreak of sarcoptic mange between 1991 and 1995. This led to numbers of the species falling by 86 per cent, but by the time the Natural Heritage and Biodiversity Law was passed in 2007 the population was once again large enough for animals to be straying onto agricultural land and causing damage.
In March 2016 the Supreme Court ordered its extermination after hearing evidence from ecologists and naturalists who maintain that the harm done by the species far outweighs its economic benefits, but in the face of widespread opposition to the eradication of the species the Barbary sheep and other species were awarded a reprieve last year. As a result, in Sierra Espuña it is still possible to experience the thrill of rounding a corner on a mountain path and confronting one of these majestic beasts face to face!
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