Uniting ecological and genetic data for the conservation of wild ibex

Abstract

There are few taxa more endangered than the Ethiopian Walia ibex. This wild mountain goat inhabits the Simen Mountains of Ethiopia and is known for its enormous backwards curving horns that exceed a meter in length on some males. Historically, hunting and habitat degradation endangered this ibex's persistence. Now this national symbol of Ethiopia is threatened by the small population dynamics of living in a very restricted patch of remaining habitat. In order to develop the best conservation plans and justify current conservation measures it is important to understand if the Walia ibex is a valid species or if it is better considered a subspecies or ecotype of Capra ibex or Capra nubiana. Often molecular genetic tools alone are used for this type of assessment, but in this issue of Animal Conservation Gebremedhin et al. (2009) combine bioclimatic niche modeling and phylogenetic analysis to assess the species and conservation status of the Walia ibex.

Citation

Schwartz, M. K. 2009. Uniting ecological and genetic data for the conservation of wild ibex. Animal Conservation. 12: 103-104.