A few weeks ago, I was exploring in the mountains of Switzerland, and I was lucky enough to see an ibex! It was grazing in a meadow. I had never seen one before, so I was very excited!
The ibex is a kind of goat. Its defining characteristic is the two long, curved horns coming out of its head. Male ibexes have larger horns than female ibexes. The ibex has a brownish-gray coat that keeps it warm during the cold winter and sharp hooves that allow it to climb steep, mountainous slopes.
I felt amazed and a little scared when I saw the ibex. Its horns are really big! I was very impressed with how it could live in such rocky, steep territory.
Ibexes like to live in the mountains on rough and steep terrain. In Switzerland, the ibex lives in a mountain range called the Alps. Those ibexes are called "Alpine Ibex", and they can also be found in Italy, Austria and other countries. There are also other kinds of ibexes around the world. Some of them live in the Himalayan mountains, while others live in mountainous regions in Mongolia, Afghanistan, Spain, Ethiopia, Sudan and more!
