Wild Ibex Attacks Hikers, Knocking One Off a Cliff and Another Unconscious
The wild goat likely charged the tourists because it felt threatened
A shepherd in Spain recently found three injured hikers in the mountains of Spain. One of them had been knocked off a cliff, and one of them was unconscious. The culprit? A wild ibex.
According to the Daily Star, the attack happened in Spain’s Alpujarra Mountains in late May. The wild goat reportedly felt threatened and charged one of the tourists, a 64-year-old Dutch woman, pushing her off a cliff. She fell 65 feet before landing on a ledge and breaking both of her wrists. The ibex also attacked the other two hikers and knocked one of them unconscious.
All three hikers ultimately survived the shocking incident but rescue efforts were hampered by severe weather. The woman who had fallen on the ledge was stuck in the area for nearly a week and suffered from hypothermia before she was finally transported to a hospital for treatment.
Ibex are wild goats that can weigh more than 200 pounds and stand just under 6 feet tall. Both sexes of ibex have long horns that arch away from their face. They use their horns for fighting, especially during mating season, as well as self-defense. During the rut, males butt heads just like bighorn sheep do when they are fighting over a female. During birthing season, which peaks in May, adults are even more aggressive as the protectors of the new kids. Officials suspect the ibex involved in the recent attack was protecting its young.
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Ibex can live up to 17 years in the wild. They spend most of their time climbing mountains using suction-cup-like hooves to cling to sheer ledges. Attacks on humans like the one that took place in Spain are exceedingly rare.