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An Ibex is any of several species of wild Goat (genus Capra), distinguished by the male’s large recurved horns, which are transversely ridged in front.
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The name Ibex comes from Latin, borrowed from Iberian or Aquitanian, akin to Old Spanish bezerro, ‘bull’, modern Spanish becerro, ‘yearling’.
Ranging in height from 70 to 110 centimetres (27–43 in) and weighing 90 to 120 kilograms (200–270 lb) for males, Ibex can live up to 20 years. Three closely related varieties of goats found in the wild are not usually called Ibex: the Markhor, Western Tur and Eastern Tur.
A male Ibex is referred to as a buck, a female is a doe, and young juveniles are called kids. An Ibex buck is commonly larger and heavier than a doe. The most noticeable difference between the sexes is the larger size of a buck’s horns. The doe grows a pair of smaller, thinner horns which develop considerably more slowly than those of a buck. The Ibex horns appear at birth and continue to grow through the rest of its life.
The Asian Ibex also known as the Siberian Ibex (Capra Sibirica) is a wild goat inhabiting long mountain systems in central Asian deserts and the northwestern Himalayas. The animal is 80–100 cm high at shoulder, and weighs an average 60kg. The adult males have long pointed beards and scimitar-shaped horns with prominent ridges on the frontal surface. The coat is dark brown with greyish underparts, and a dorsal stripe runs from the neck to tail. Adult males also have grey saddle patches on their backs. The species exhibits sexual dimorphism, as the females are smaller with small straight horns that are widely separated at the base. The animals are found most frequently at elevations ranging from 3000 to 5300 m above sea level, but are also known to occur in areas as low as 1000m. They have a predilection for rugged terrain as an anti-predator strategy.
There are approximately 50,000 Spanish Ibex on the Iberian Peninsula. Two of its subspecies went extinct, although one, the Pyrenean Ibex, was cloned in 2003 but the resulting individual died very quickly.
The Nubian Ibex (Capra Nubiana) inhabits the desert regions of the Middle East. They are the smallest Ibex species and adapted for arid environments with a tan colour, white underbelly and rump, black legs, and dark tail. This species is vulnerable, with less than 4,500 individuals in the wild.
The Walia or Ethiopian Ibex (Capra Walie) has recently been upgraded from critically endangered to endangered. It is sometimes considered a subspecies of Alpine Ibex. The Ibex was also a national emblem of the Axumite Empire.
The Wild Goat (Capra Aegagrus), also known as West Asian Ibex, is the ancestor of the domestic Goat.
Ibex are found in Eurasia, North Africa and East Africa.
Ibex taxidermy is the art of preserving the Ibex skin and other body parts to produce lifelike sculptures for display, either at home as a hunting trophy or in museums for educational purposes. Skin is preserved and mounted on an artificial armature to display the specimen.
The contemporary English word “taxidermy” is derived from the Greek terms taxis, meaning “movement,” and derma, meaning “skin,” thereby combining these two meanings. This is why, in a broad sense, taxidermy is synonymous with “the motion of skin.”
For expert taxidermists, skills in sculpture, painting, and sketching are just as important as those in carpentry, woodworking, tanning, moulding, and casting.
The remaining parts of the body are synthetic replacements for real organs and tissues. Polyurethane foam is used for the manikin or form, which includes the anatomy of every muscle and vein; glass is used for the eyes; clay is used for the eyelids; for the nose and mouth the foam of the mannequin is sculptured.
Works of taxidermy can be found in a wide range of environments, including museums, classrooms, galleries, stores, restaurants, and private households, due to the complexity and delicate craftsmanship involved in the taxidermy process.
Thorough preparation is the key factor to ensuring a high-quality final product. All hides are tanned and oiled using the world’s very best available chemicals and processes to ensure permanence and longevity. Forms are selected to ensure the best fit and posture will be altered to suit you, the client’s preference without additional cost. Natural habitat bases are custom-made for full mount trophies without additional cost. Only the finest materials and 40 years of professional experience are used in defining your trophies in a whole new way. The final trophies are almost Life-Formed. When the restoration is required, every effort is made to repair cuts and abrasions, and to minimise bullet damage. Natural scarring is kept unless otherwise requested.
When making an Ibex mount, careful planning is key to getting a high-quality result. When tanning and oiling the skins, only the best chemicals and methods are used. This ensures that the skins will last for many years.
Your preferred form for the Ibex will be chosen after taking your measurements into account, and the posture of your form will be changed at no extra cost. Full-mount Ibex trophies come with bases made to look like the animal’s natural habitat and made just for the Ibex mount.
The taxidermy process at Life-Form takes your prized Ibex trophy and gives it a whole new meaning by using only the best materials and drawing on more than 40 years of experience in the field.
When repair is needed, every effort is made to fix cuts and scrapes and lessen bullet damage. Existing scars are left alone unless the client asks for them to be taken away.
Using the helpful tips below, it’s important to take extra care of your prized Ibex trophy to make sure it stays in perfect shape for years to come.
The pricing of any trophy is subject to the costing stipulated per taxidermy order, quantity of trophies and preferred mounting options, along with additional requirements.
Should you wish to receive a quotation prior to the hunt, the taxidermist can generate such for you. Please contact [email protected]
Taxidermy is an art form that involves a complicated step-by-step process to make sure that each trophy looks just right and is of a high enough quality that it will last your whole life.
The time it takes a taxidermist to mount an animal might range from days to weeks, and possibly several months, depending on the quantity of trophies per taxidermy order, the display preferences, and volumes of client trophies to be produced, simultaneously, per production schedule.
This depends largely on the “what, how, when” factors. A taxidermy order also only becomes available for production scheduling upon receipt of the required deposit and trophy mounting instructions.
