Weird West Texas: How an African sheep species found home on the High Plains
While hiking the trails of Palo Duro Canyon, one may spot — if they're lucky enough — a stocky, dusty-colored sheep roaming the rugged terrain of the state park.
Albeit seldom seen inside the red-tinted canyon, the aoudad sheep (pronounced au-dad) has endured a fascinating trek from the rocky mountains of North Africa to the Texas Panhandle, an unusual place for the species to consider home. Since its arrival in the late 1950s, the species has flourished so much that its population is greater here than its native home halfway across the world.
And as borders between humans and wildlife gradually shrink amid development and population growth, the aoudad may no longer be a rare sight to see. A herd may, perhaps, even wander into your backyard ... as one Amarillo resident documented in late January.
Before I trek any further, let me introduce myself: I'm Brandi D. Addison, the regional agriculture and natural resources reporter for the USA TODAY network in West Texas, and this is the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal's newest series, "Weird West Texas."
Each week, we will explore some of the most odd, eccentric and just plain weird things in our region — from the state's northernmost town of Booker down into the Big Country, westward to the Permian Basin and all the way into the Rolling Plains.
This week, we're following the arduous journey of the aoudad sheep.
More:Weird West Texas: A new series about the odd, eccentric and just plain weird things of our region
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From African mountains to Texas canyons
Stubborn but determined, the aoudad species made its way to Palo Duro Canyon in 1957, though its history with the United States spans even further with a complex past.
Another sheep species originally stood in its place but struggled to survive between threats of disease, overhunting and habitat loss, the Atlantic reported in 2018. And by the end of the 19th century, most of the native bighorn sheep had disappeared from West Texas — and the aoudads quickly took over.
Rumor says the species was brought from ex-GIs who had served in North Africa during World War II and believed the species had good game potential in our state. But the Atlantic reports that the species had initially been imported by zoos and was later set loose by private owners and Texas wildlife officials, who released nearly 40 aoudads as legal game to bolster economic activity for private ranchers.
Eventually, the population rapidly multiplied — and an entire industry surrounding the hunt and sale of exotic meats began to thrive.
"The aoudad is not the only example of this paradox in the Lone Star State," science journalist Marion Renault wrote in the Atlantic. "It is part of a suite of nonnative hoofed animals introduced from abroad, dubbed 'Texotics,' and one of a small subset of Texotics that have proliferated stateside while disappearing from their home range."
Now, more than 75,000 aoudads exist in North America, while the species' wild population in North Africa is at high risk for extinction existing of between 5,000 to 10,000 individuals. Within the last several years, the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources listed the aoudad as "vulnerable" on its Red List.
Though inarguably a negative impact for the species, experts say the invasive animal has long interfered with local ecosystems in West Texas and disrupted the reproductive cycle of several native goat and sheep species, including the desert bighorn, that are in desperate need of repopulation.
"As invaders that face extinction elsewhere, aoudads and species like them pose a problem: Are they ecological troublemakers, refugees, or — somehow, impossibly — both at the same time?" Renault added.
Regardless of whichever answer's most accurate, it appears they're going to be here for the long haul: running through the canyons of the Panhandle, free-roaming the mountains of Terlingua, and possibly, sauntering through the nearest yard in Amarillo.
Heard a different tale about this topic? Send it our way — we'd love to hear it! Or if you're curious about one of our region's many oddities, submit your question via email to BAddison@gannett.com with "Weird West Texas" in the subject line or via text at 806.496.4073.
This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: How an African sheep species found home on the High Plains
