In the 1950s, Texas Introduced African Sheep for Hunting, Decades Later, They’re Competing With Native Bighorn Sheep
What began in Texas more than six decades ago as an effort to create new opportunities for hunters has evolved into a complex wildlife-management challenge, as thousands of introduced aoudad now roam parts of the state and compete with native desert bighorn sheep for vital resources.
Also known as Barbary sheep, aoudad are native to the dry, mountainous regions of North Africa. Their ability to survive in rugged, arid environments made them an attractive exotic game species for Texas, where wildlife managers began introducing them in the late 1950s.
But the animals did far more than simply establish a hunting population. They adapted remarkably well to the Texas landscape, reproduced rapidly and expanded into areas occupied by one of the state’s native species the desert bighorn sheep.
From North Africa to the Texas desert
One of the earliest documented introductions took place at Palo Duro Canyon during the winter of 1957–58, when 42 aoudad were released into the area.
According to a study by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, biologist Philip K. Evans monitored the introduced population for approximately a decade. His work examined the animals’ reproduction, habitat preferences, movements and ability to adapt to their new environment. The results demonstrated just how successfully the species could establish itself.
Within about ten years, the population had grown from the original 42 animals to an estimated 600. The sheep had also expanded their range more than 20 miles beyond the original release locations.
What was initially a relatively small introduction had therefore become a self-sustaining population capable of spreading across the surrounding landscape. And Palo Duro Canyon was only the beginning.
Aoudad spread across Texas
Over subsequent decades, additional private introductions during the 1950s through the 1970s helped establish aoudad populations in several regions of Texas. Today, the animals are found across areas including the Edwards Plateau, Trans-Pecos, South Texas Plains, Rolling Plains and Post Oak Savannah.
Estimates of their statewide population vary significantly. Texas Tech University’s Natural Science Research Laboratory has previously estimated that Texas had more than 5,000 wild aoudad, while more recent research has placed the population above 30,000. Their success is partly explained by their remarkable adaptability. Aoudad are naturally equipped to survive in dry, mountainous environments, allowing them to thrive in some of the same rugged landscapes where Texas’ native desert bighorn sheep live. That overlap has created a new conservation dilemma.
A native species was already struggling
The arrival of aoudad occurred at a particularly difficult time for Texas’ native desert bighorn sheep. Bighorn populations had already suffered major declines because of hunting, habitat changes and disease. By the early 1960s, native desert bighorn sheep were considered extirpated from Texas.
Conservation efforts later began attempting to restore the species to parts of its historic range. However, by the time those restoration programmes gained momentum, aoudad had already become firmly established in several areas. Some of the landscapes identified as suitable for restoring bighorn sheep were also home to large populations of the introduced animals.
This created a difficult situation for wildlife managers: restoring a native species meant managing an introduced species that had already become a permanent part of the ecosystem.
Two sheep competing for limited resources
Aoudad and desert bighorn sheep are different species, but their ability to survive in similar environments brings them into contact. In the dry and rocky landscapes of West Texas, food and water can be limited, particularly during periods of harsh weather and drought. When both species occupy the same areas, they may depend on many of the same resources.
A 2025 study published in the Journal of Wildlife Management examined the diets of aoudad and desert bighorn sheep in the Sierra Vieja Mountains of West Texas. Researchers analysed faecal samples from 32 aoudad and 27 bighorn sheep and identified 88 different plant genera in their diets.
The study found that the two species showed their greatest dietary similarity during the warm-dry season, when available forage was more limited. During the warm-wet season, their diets became more distinct. The findings suggest that competition between the two species may not remain constant throughout the year. Environmental conditions can influence what both animals eat and, consequently, how heavily they depend on the same resources.
Water and disease add another layer
Food competition is not the only concern. In portions of the Trans-Pecos region, aoudad and bighorn sheep may also depend on the same water sources. In an arid environment where water availability can determine where animals congregate, sharing these resources can increase opportunities for interaction. There are also concerns about disease transmission.
Aoudad have been identified as potential carriers of respiratory pathogens capable of affecting bighorn sheep. This is particularly significant because disease has historically been an important factor in the decline of bighorn populations. For conservationists trying to rebuild a vulnerable native population, the presence of another species that may compete for resources or contribute to disease risks presents an additional management challenge. When a hunting introduction becomes a conservation problem
The story of the aoudad in Texas demonstrates how wildlife-management decisions can have consequences that extend far beyond their original purpose. When the animals were introduced in the 1950s, the primary objective was to establish an exotic game species and create additional hunting opportunities.
More than 60 years later, aoudad are no longer simply an exotic hunting attraction. They have established themselves across large portions of Texas and now form part of the state’s wildlife landscape. But their growing presence has complicated efforts to restore native desert bighorn sheep.
The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department identifies aoudad as competitors with bighorn sheep for space, forage and water in the Trans-Pecos region. Consequently, controlling aoudad populations has become one of the strategies considered in efforts to support bighorn restoration. Big Bend becomes part of the conservation effort
The issue is particularly visible in areas where conservationists are actively working to restore native bighorn populations. At Big Bend National Park, wildlife managers have begun reducing aoudad numbers as part of broader efforts to protect native desert bighorns.
The strategy reflects a difficult reality: protecting a recovering native species may require controlling an introduced animal that has successfully adapted to the same environment. Yet controlling aoudad is far from simple. The animals are highly adapted to rugged terrain and frequently occupy steep, rocky landscapes that are difficult for people to access. Those same environments are also favoured by desert bighorn sheep.
As a result, reducing aoudad numbers requires sustained and carefully targeted management rather than a simple one-time intervention.
A lesson in unintended consequences
The Texas aoudad story is ultimately about more than two species of sheep. It highlights the long-term consequences that can follow when animals are deliberately introduced into an environment where they did not historically occur.
An introduction intended to provide hunting opportunities helped establish a population that proved exceptionally successful in its new surroundings. Decades later, wildlife managers are dealing with the consequences as they attempt to rebuild populations of native desert bighorn sheep.
The challenge is not simply about eliminating aoudad. It is about finding the right balance between managing an established introduced species and protecting a native species that conservationists are working to bring back.
For Texas wildlife managers, the experience offers a powerful reminder that changing an ecosystem can produce consequences that may take generations to fully understand, and even longer to manage.
