European mouflon
In our region, mouflon acclimatized for the first time in 1868 in Jelenec (Nitra district).
The mouflon inhabits mostly open mountainous areas up to 1600 m. In our country, it prefers deciduous and mixed forests in hilly areas with an altitude of no more than 700 m. (for example Tríbeč, Malé and Biele Karpaty, Považský Inovec, Vtáčnik, Plešivecká and Silická planina, Strážovské vrchy, Štiavnické vrchy).
The shape of the body is typical of sheep. The mouflon has a rust-brown colour in summer, a black mane (fleece) on the underside of the neck, and usually a white patch (saddle) on the sides of the body. Also, the mirror and the inside of the legs are white. The mask on the face increases with the age of the mouflon. In winter, the mouflon is dark brown. Mouflons are yellow-brown coloured in summer, without the white saddle. They are rusty grey in winter. Male (ram) reaches a weight of 25-45 kg and female (sheep) 20-30 kg.
Mouflon, unlike deer, fallow deer, and roe deer, has horns. The main difference between horns and antlers is that while antlers are shed and reapplied annually by a male, horns grow throughout an animal's life. The horn is hollow, it is a cornified skin that surrounds the bony outgrowth of the mouflon's frontal bone. The horns of strong rams can be up to 90 cm long. A young mouflon begins to develop horns after only two months. Annual mouflon has about 25-30 cm trunks. In the second year of life, the mouflon's horns grow most intensively, with increasing age, the increments are shorter. In 8-year-old animals, the growth of the horn is already minimal. Horns grow faster in the warm season, when there is plenty of food, than in winter. As a result, we can observe deeper grooves on the corners, according to which the age of the individual can be calculated.
From a hunting point of view, the mouflon is of considerable importance. The trophy quality of the population living in Slovakia belongs to the top in Europe. Whether, in a menagerie or the wild, mouflon hunting is one of the unforgettable experiences.
