Cyprus Walking Friends

My first encounter with the little darlings was as a tourist in the 90's visiting the Moufflon sanctuary at Stavros Forest Station. A hot day, climbing up around the wired enclosure, no proper steps back then, I sat down on a rock in sheer frustration. I scanned the enclosure for signs of life, seeing none I played with the lens of my old camera. Something flickered in the corner of my eye my head turned, and there six inches behind the wire, head down, half hidden by a bush was a full grown male, huge horns curling from his head, just looking at me blinking slowly. I moved my camera brought it to my eye, and, he was gone not a sound not a rustle, did I see him, I could have sworn I did.

The years roll on, I am walking in the early morning heading west from the Kelefos bridge to Pano
Panayia, its early summer and my spirit is light, I know there is probably not a living soul for ten miles in all directions. Rounding a bend in the pine shaded track, sheer drop to the left, sheer cliff to the right, I am stopped in my tracks by the sight, up close, of two teenage Moufflon, last years babies, somehow I sensed it. Standing totally still they regarded me with obvious curiosity. Had they seen a human being before, probably not. I would say their colour was pale fawn, slim pale legs dark muzzles and huge nostrils. Their ears were back and their nostrils flared, as they puzzled what to do next. Instinct took over, I froze, they pawed the ground, and snorted, I wondered whether I should move back!

Suddenly they were off bounding effortlessly over the sheer cliff and out of my sight. I moved on, round the next bend, and there they were again on a knoll of ground by the road. This time they moved of quickly across the track and up the sheer rock face to the edge of the tree line where they became almost invisible. I caught glimpses of them for a few minutes and then, I saw them, a whole family, crossing a patch of bare rock. In front dad, huge curling horns, seeming much to big for his fine body, mum slight, lithe, the teenagers looking now very much “the boys” bigger than mum but no horns, and finally two tiny babies running to keep up with the pack. Then I lost them as they moved lower into the trees, I confess, I was still smiling when I finished the walk hours later.

In 1938 the Moufflon had been hunted to near extinction, with only 15-20 animals remaining. The government declared them an endangered species and set up a programme for their conservation. Today there are estimated to be over 2000 living in the high wild country between Pano Panayia and the Stavros Forest Station. Fair enough, thats great to know, but recently walking the cross track from the Phini Elia Bridge road to the Mandria road, west of Troodos, I looked up and there on the hills just above the vineyards, were moufflon, only two, but large as life, and within a few miles of a town.

So it does appear that in the foothills of the Troodos you might just see a Moufflon one day soon, well isn't that excellent news!!!

Sue Oakes Walk Leader

P.S. The Rough Guide to Cyprus says about the Moufflon “ they wander the surrounding ridges (of Stavros), but you are exceedingly unlikely to see any roaming free while hiking”