So, What Is An Aoudad Anyway?

When we tell people that we have a large herd of aoudad running around the ranch the most common response is, “What’s that?” The technical definition is that an aoudad is a slang name that the local indigenous people of North Africa use for the African Barbary Sheep that runs wild in the Sahara Desert. They are actually pretty rare in their native North Africa but were introduced in the US many years ago and have done quite well. They are usually 30 to 40 inches tall at the shoulders and can weigh as much as 300 pounds. They have a reddish color to them and all of them have the characteristic curved back horns.

At 7-R we are lucky enough to have a great herd that free ranges around the ranch and have been here for decades. They are elusive and typically freeze in their tracks when they feel the presence of danger so many times they are right around you and you don’t even realize it! I went out a few days ago with a mind to find and photograph some of them to share with you on this website. I was lucky enough to be able to locate and photograph some of them for you to enjoy. All of these shots were taken from the ridge just below some of our newest view properties in the Canyon Ridge area of 7-R. I guess maybe they were thinking about catching a movie or working out at the new recreation center right around the corner!

I guess just like the herd of aoudad shown above, I better head out until next time. By the way, if you click on these pictures you can see a much larger version of these pictures.

I look forward to seeing you around the ranch,

Joel