Alpine Ibex: a two-minute wildlife lesson

Deer and Antelopes · day 7 of 7

Five facts

1. Alpine ibexes have been seen climbing the Cingino Dam in Italy, whose wall slopes at 57 degrees, to lick salts there.
2. Only females and kids, lighter than adult males, climb the dam. Kids go up in a zig-zag path and come down in straight paths.
3. Alpine ibexes talk mainly in short, sharp whistles, mostly used as alarm calls.
4. Ibex horns grow throughout life. Annual growth rings in them show an ibex's age.
5. Hunting brought the Alpine ibex close to extinction. Numbers then climbed back: 3,020 in 1914, 20,000 in 1991 and 55,297 in 2015.

The quiz

1. What do Alpine ibexes lick on the Cingino Dam?

• Moss
• Ice
• Salts (correct)
• Algae

They climb the dam slopes to lick salts.

2. Who climbs the steep dam?

• Only adult males
• Only females and kids (correct)
• Everyone equally
• Only old males

Only females and kids, who are lighter than adult males, climb the dam.

3. What are the ibex's whistles mostly used for?

• Courtship
• Finding water
• Calling kids to feed
• Alarm calls (correct)

Short, sharp whistles serve mostly as alarm calls.

4. What can growth rings on an ibex's horns reveal?

• Its age (correct)
• Its weight
• Its diet
• Its home range

Annual growth rings in the horns show an ibex's age.

5. How many Alpine ibexes were there in 2015?

• 3,020
• 20,000
• 550,297
• 55,297 (correct)

The population reached 55,297 in 2015, up from 3,020 in 1914 and 20,000 in 1991.

More about the Alpine Ibex

Same week

All lessons

Nature documentaries