Monday, March 13, 2006

Mouflon sheep, Sitka and Fallow deer.


Mouflon Sheep
Originally uploaded by Jeff Lorton.
In the 1970's a group of game hunting taxidermists in Seattle purchased the island and stocked it with exotic herd animals like Japanese Sitka Deer, European Fallow deer and the Corsican Mouflon sheep (Ovis musimon). The Mouflon is thought to be one of the two ancestors for all modern sheep breeds. Found in Corsica, it is red-brown with a dark back-stripe, light colored saddle patch and under-parts. The males are horned and the females are horned or polled. It is now rare but has been successfully introduced into central Europe, including Germany, Austria, Czech Republic, Slovak Republics, Romania and of course Spieden Island.

The island is still private but hunting was suspended long ago and today we saw the idyllic life of these beautiful exotic animals as they grazed the grassy slopes above the shore.

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