The moufflon is to Cypriots what the kangaroo is to Australians - an easily recognisable national emblem that appears in a stylised form on the distinctive gold, blue and white tail fin of their national airline, Cyprus Airways. Over the years this shy, but engaging creature has also appeared on coins, postcards and many lively descriptions from skiers out to impress their friends back at home!

But what is a moufflon? Sheep, goat or something else?

The Cyprus moufflon is a relative of the agrino a type of wild sheep that has the surprising agility of a young deer and has the Latin name Ovis ammon orientalis {Cyprus variety}. The moufflon has lived in Cyprus for more than 8,000 years, when they were abundant in number, and the discovery of bones at the Neolithic settlement of Khirokitia supports this theory. The moufflon is thought to have arrived in Cyprus by swimming the 50 miles distance from the next landmass. The moufflon was very common in all mountainous areas in Greco-Roman times. It appears on a mosaic in the House of Dionysos in Paphos {that dates from 3rd century} and on pieces of old pottery, and without a doubt the moufflon is the most fascinating of all the mammalian species found in Cyprus.

The moufflon, Christos Georgiades says in 'Nature of Cyprus' has close relatives in 'the very similar sub-species living in Sardinia and Corsica', and many other experts agree that are similar but not the same, and that the moufflon as a endemic species has evolved because Cyprus is an island. Interestingly, David Attenborough thinks differently in his best-selling, 'The First Eden'-
'No such wholly wild sheep survives today. A species of ship, the moufflon, does however live in the mountains of Corsica and Sardinia'
- he continues that because no fossil remains have been discovered that it is thought that the moufflon evolved elsewhere and was taken there by man after it had been domesticated and afterwards reverted to its wild state -
'It provides, however the closest approximation we have to the ancestral sheep'.

The male moufflon is a very handsome beast, he is similar in built to a young strongly-built buck with a short-haired coat, short tail and very distinctive curled horns that can be as long as 60 cm. It is said that the age of the male can be gauged by counting the number of rings on its horns. The slightly smaller female is a similar pale brown colour with white underparts, but has a darker line running between the ears and down to the tip of the nose. The winter coat is usually a darker shade of brown. The moufflon is quite unique in the fact that it lives in pine forest rather than on open plain. The moufflon eats very little tree material and usually prefers grasses and annuals.

The moufflon is a shy creature that will quickly run at the slightest sound and is elusive to those keen to see it, except in the special enclosure at the forest station of Stavros tis Psorkas that is situated 54 kilometres from Paphos. There they can be easily be seen in their natural surroundings and how quickly they are camouflaged in the wild becomes apparent. The moufflon has had mixed fortunes as it was nearly hunted to extinction, and when Cyprus became a British colony there were only about 22 animals left, in the Troodos area. Luckily the government stepped in to protect its national emblem, by declaring the Paphos forest a Game Reserve in 1939 and banning all other grazing animals and hunters from the area, greatly supporting the forest station at Stavros tis Psorkas that had been established there years earlier {1884}. In the mid-1960s the moufflon was declared a 'rare wildlife species' even though their number had risen to 200 and great efforts to reverse the decline in numbers resulted in an upward swing - with 800 recorded in 1982 and with more than 1,900 at the last count! In 1976, five moufflon were shipped to Israel to start a new colony at Mt. Carmel near Haifa.

Stavros tis Psorkas - in the heart of the Paphos forest.

The forest station stands on the site of an old monastery that was closed in 1850 and had the unusual name Stavros tis Psokas, which translated means 'the cross of the measle'. It is said that the water spring near to the monastery was credited with having miraculous powers to wash away measles and other skin complaints! Even today, this is a belief held by local people. The journey to Stavros tis Psokas takes the visitor through the famous Cedar Valley, where a variety of cedar tree{Cedrus breviflora}that is endemic to Cyprus thrives. It is possible to stay at the forest station for several nights, for just a few pounds which is always a very peaceful break from the hustle and bustle of the towns, and of course there are moufflon to see in the nearby enclosure as nearly forty live there.

A second moufflon enclosure is opened.

A second moufflon enclosure has been established in a beautiful part of the Troodos called Platania, which is not too far from the pretty mountain village of Kakopetria. For those who don't mind a long wait, the animals will gingerly come out from behind the trees when all is quiet and tranquil and this can be a rewarding sight, particularly in the late spring when they are often accompanied by their young.

A young moufflon - a rare and wonderful sight...

The ewes usually only produce one lamb and they are very rewarding to watch, though nigh on impossible to photograph without a really fast film! Mating takes place each November and in each group is usually done by the most dominant male, but not without fights between various males! The ewe is usually pregnant for five months. Traditionally, the moufflon move to the higher areas in the mountains in the summer, and to the lower areas in the winter. They usually move around in small groups of about six animals and live on average, twenty years. These fascinating creatures are certainly dear to everyone's heart...

Information courtesy forsale.com.cy