Know Before You Go
Ibex Facts | Himalayas Wildlife Guide
The ibex is a goat with dramatic, sweeping horns, and is the model for the Sagittarius sign in the zodiac. It is impossible to mistake this distinctive denizen of the high mountains for any other ungulate.
The ibex found around Ladakh have long been considered genetically the same as the Siberian ibex. However, a study done in 2020 is causing some scientists to consider the Himalayan ibex to be a separate species. It will take years for them to make a final determination. Speciation can certainly happen over time when you have a habitat that is this isolated as a result of high mountain passes that prevent gene flow between populations. The rugged ibex is found in the most extreme parts of the Himalayan region, surviving at elevations above 20,000 feet!
They are mostly crepuscular, feeding at dawn and dusk, unlike the bharal and urial with feed in the middle of the day.
