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Cyprus Passion

The Cypriot Mouflon, otherwise known here in Cyprus as the Agrino (grεek: Αγρινό), is a wild sheep that is found only in Cyprus in Paphos forest area. It is believed that the Mouflon first came to Cyprus around 8000 B.C. Interesting fact about our mouflons is that due to the near extinction of these wild sheeps from hunting, hunting of Cypriot mouflons has been banned in the island since 1930.

Characteristics of the Cypriot Mouflon are short hair, reddish to dark brown colour hair with dark black stripes on saddle area. Males have horns and females are either horned or polled, meaning without horns. In mature Mouflons the horns are actually almost fully curled into a circle. The males usually weight around 50kg and the females around 35kg.

The mating season of the Cypriot Mouflon is between late autumn until early winter while the males fight one another in order to win the right to mate a female. Sexual maturity of these sheep is between 2-4 years of age and female’s pregnancy period is 5 months and they can deliver 1-2 offspring.

In order to see one up close you will need to be very lucky as they can be very shy and also, they stay away from streets and people. They are only found in the rugged mountains of Paphos so if you want to try your luck, keep your eyes peeled when in the mountain forest of Paphos.  However, they have been known to wander near the fenced area of the Forest Station at Stavros tis Psokas (the Cross of Psokas).

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