These are all females. The zoo has one male and he has not been out at the same time as the females this year. Like arcticfox, I have pictures and remember no horns or smaller horns on the females but maybe these are older females whose horns are larger. Maybe they are a different subspecies now. Researching, I found that the males also have much more of a beard than females.
This morning I talked to three zoomobile narrators who said there is one male and 6 or 7, 7 or 8, 8 - 10 females, so I suppose there is one male.
Agreed - unless someone's been spending zoo funds on a job lot of mouflon horns and a large tube of superglue, these are males. You can see female mouflon in the shots below - they never have horns like these in my experience - I've seen a lot of mouflon in my time and I'm sure Jana has seen many more than me! Not sure why someone at the zoo is suggesting they are females.
These were the zoomobile narrators who work from a list provided by their supervisor. Hard to understand they would be so wrong and also why we would have so many males. I have seen pictures of females with horns but nothing that size.
Next week I will make sure I find someone more senior, harder to do with Eurasia closed.
Feral mouflons are common in my country, with estimation of ca. 20.000 animals. I see them regularly from car. Even city of Prague has a herd of +100 animals - they move mostly around parks and gardens in Krč and Kunratice, the large areal of Thomayerova hospital is their stronghold. But they are regulated by annual hunt there because they cause traffic accidents.
Mr Wrinkly, maybe those people just use an outdated list?
I asked around and I've been told the zoo only has 7 males. I completely trust the person who gave me that info. They do look male based on the evidence provided. Boy do we need the Eurasian Wilds open so someone can get their hands on a keeper from that area.
As to why we would have so many males perhaps the zoo is just housing surplus males. Sometimes its easier to just have one gender to prevent breeding and if we dont want to breed taking in surplus males works well. We dont have to breed but we can have a larger herd while freeing up space at other zoos who want to breed.
Jana - I don't doubt what you say, just want to clarify with the zoo and get the zoomobile info corrected. It doesn't help that their website is outdated and falling apart.
TZFan - did you get any comment about the one they are saying is kept separate because it's a male?
It's quite possible that these are males. In fact I wouldn't be surprised it that were the case. But, currently, the zoomobile narrator states that they are all female being kept away from the males. I'm starting to wonder if they have that backwards. Maybe the males are on exhibit being kept away from the females.
But, currently, the zoomobile narrator states that they are all female being kept away from the males. I'm starting to wonder if they have that backwards. Maybe the males are on exhibit being kept away from the females.
I wonder if they're either just using badly out-of-date information or if two species have become confused when they were writing the script - is there any other species in the same area that it could refer to?
