The most effective method in the
survey was the interviews. Interviews gave a full picture of ibex distribution
and population in addition to their interaction with humans, predators, and
goats.
Interviews gave ideas for where to
choose the observation points and where to scan the ibex habitats. Other
methods were less efficient because the ibex population is very low, minimizing
the chance of actually seeing any ibex individuals.
All
of the people interviewed maintained that ibex prefer high mountains, which are
safer than other mountains because they are hard to access. Ibex were seen in
the mountains of Rum, Um ‘Ishrin, Khaz’ali, Qabr ‘Amra, and Qattar, which
are considered the highest and most complex mountains in the area (see
map 4).
One of the sites outside the
protected area showed a lot of ibex tracks, pellets, and blood. This site is
called Wadi Abul-Harr and is located in the far southern part of the country,
about 70 km from Rum (see map 5). The area
is characterized by hard sandstone mountains and a lot of locations where
rainwater collects. It is a well-known site among hunters, where ambushes are
found along the wadi.
Some of the interviewed people
mentioned a few ibex observations in the flat wadis These observations were in
the rut season, when ibex males move between mountains looking for females.
A high percentage of the
interviewed locals stated that the relation between people and ibex is through
hunting. They proposed that this is the main reason for the ibex population
decline.
Ibex have traditionally inhabited
the high and complex mountains to avoid human interference. In the rut season,
ibex males would move between mountains in search of females with which to
mate. Hunters took advantage of this habit, and would ambush ibex individuals
as they passed from one mountain to the next. Records show that for this reason
males are subjected to higher hunting pressure than females (
see Appendix 2).
Most of the locals interviewed
mentioned that there is a relation between ibex and the black goat, that both
species sometimes share the same grazing sites. This usually happens when ibex
graze at relatively low altitudes during the breeding season. This sharing of
grazing plains usually ends soon after the rut season when the ibex return to
higher altitudes to graze without competition or disturbance from black goats.
Due
to this interaction, goats are sometimes exposed to a disease called Dubar
caused by ibex urine and/or pellets. Affected goats exhibit severe symptoms
which culminate in death. Some of the locals suggested that ibex males can mate
with black goat females to produce a hybrid offspring, but this was not
confirmed (see Appendix 2).
The main predator of ibex was once
the Arabian Leopard, which is now extinct due to extensive hunting mainly for
its fur. The existing predators nowadays are wolves, hyenas, and saluki, which
prey on ibex in the flat areas during the ibex breeding season. Some
interviewees mentioned that big raptors can prey on young ibex (see
Appendix 2).
There
are three main water sources in the protected area: Lawrence Falls, Lawrence
Pools and Lawrence Spring. Ibex were not recorded there because they avoid
disturbed areas like these water sources, even though they are the only
permanent water sources in the protected area.
Other
water sources recorded inside and outside the protected area were found to be
used by ibex, especially if these water sources were not used by humans. These
included the water pools mentioned in the Wadi Abu Al-Harr and the small pools
that were found in Rum and Khaz’ali mountains. None of these pools are
permanent, and they only form after rain (see Appendix
3).
Ibex
is found to bed in the mountain clefts. Many of the interviewed locals
mentioned that there is an ibex migration route from Palestine through Wadi
Araba to Rum and vice versa. Another route mentioned was from Saudi Arabia to
the southern part of the Rum area. Ibex is known to travel long distances,
especially in the rut seasons. It was also mentioned that Ibex move with the
water resources and rain flow (see Appendix 3).
All the locals agree that they
like ibex and it should be protected; although some of them admit that they
like it because of its favorable meat. Others like ibex because it is a natural
inhabitant of their area and they wish to have more of them around (see
Appendix 4).
