The mouflon are wild sheep and you can see that they are born on cliffs. The mating season begins in October and lasts until the end of November. After that, the male and female form herds, from 10 to around 20 animals, which remain together throughout the winter. When the spring season approaches and it is time for birthing the herds break up and divide into small groups of two or three animals.
The males tend to stay alone. The mouflon give birth in April and May and usually either one or two lambs are born. The mouflon is a very cautious animal and is not easily approached by humans. As the mating season draws near quite violent conflicts, sometimes fatal, occur, between the males who fight like gladiators with their sickle-shaped horns. After the mating season the males return peacefully to their herds with the other males.
The females do not have horns and are smaller and lighter than the males, their weight rarely exceeding 25kg. Their colour is light brown and not particularly bright. The weight of males reaches 35 Kg and they can be as much as a meter high. Their coat in winter becomes heavy and dense, it has a light brown colour, with some light grey in the back. In part of the neck has black hair. In summer the coat changes and becomes lighter in thickness and colour so that they can cope with the heat.
Mouflon are vegetarian and like soft tender shoots, wild berries and the various weeds that grow in shady ravines of the forest
If you want to see a mouflon close-up, you might find this rather difficult because it is a shy animal. If you driving on a dirt road in the woods you will see them spring up and running in the street from fear. They are very supple and fleet-footed. They move very quickly especially when they sense the presence of humans. Mouflon are an attraction for thousands of visitors both from Cyprus and from abroad who visit the Paphos Forests to admire them. The best time to see them, is during the summer in the morning or the afternoon; at noon it is very hot and they resort for relaxation and rest in shady parts of the forest. During winter, because of the weather, they are moving all the time and is easier to see them. There is also a fenced area with mouflon a short distance from the Forest Station of the Cross of Psokas, the heart of Paphos Forest.
Source: Cyprusalive.com
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