Drive Thru Safari - Armenian Mouflon

The Armenian mouflon (Ovis gmelini gmelini) is an endangered subspecies of mouflon endemic to Iran, Armenia, and Nakhchivan. In Iran, Armenian mouflons are found in the northwestern part of the country. Individuals were transferred to Kabudan Island in Lake Urmia in 1895 and 1906 by one of the governors of Azerbaijan. A study carried out in the 1970s at the island found that their number declined from around 3,500 in 1970 to 1,000 in 1973. In 2004 1,658 Armenian wild sheep were counted at the Angouran Protected Area in Iran's Zanjan Province.

The Armenian mouflon lives mostly in open rough terrain at medium or high altitudes, where they inhabit rocky hill country, lowland and highland steppes, rocky semideserts, grass-covered slopes, and alpine meadows. They spend the summer at the highest elevations, right below the permanent snow. In winter, they move lower and may come into the valleys. They live in small or large herds, and in the summer, the older males live singly or in separate groups. They may live up to 18 years.

O. g. gmelini was listed in Category I of the USSR Red Data Book. In Armenia, hunting it has been forbidden since 1936. A captive-breeding program has been initiated at the Zoological Institute of Armenia aiming to expand Khosrov Nature Reserve, reorganize the Orbubad Sanctuary into a state reserve, control livestock, and reduce poaching. As of 2011, the fine for hunting the Armenian mouflon in Armenia was 3 million drams (roughly $8,000).

Wild Fact About Armenian Mouflon: The Mouflon will secrete a sticky substance from glands just below their eyes often appearing matted. Mouflon horns will grow throughout their lives.