Fun Wild Goat Facts For Kids

Much is known about goats that are domesticated but rarely do we pause to think about the wild goat. It is unfortunate but this goat is rarer than the feral goat that we see on any farm, with an adult population of around 70,000 adults. With horns that mesmerize and the ability to thrive in high altitudes in mountain ranges, these animals are marvelous.  There are five subspecies of the wild goat that are all types of ibex. The size and color of their fur differ but what remains a constant is their large horns.  The bezoar ibex species have large horns, that are disproportionately long for their bodies, the Chiltan ibex, on the other hand, is a wild goat with curved horns that make one entire spiral-like turn. Keep on reading to learn more about this interesting species.

If you enjoy reading this article, check out the Percheron and the Chinese water deer.

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What type of animal is a Wild Goat?

This animal is the wild ancestral species of the much-known domesticated goats. The wild goat breeds are namely, the bezoar ibex, Sindh ibex, Chiltan ibex, and the Turkmen wild goat.

What class of animal does a Wild Goat belong to?

Wild goats belong to the class Mammalia. Furthermore, this animal belongs to the family Bovidae and genus Capra.

How many species of Wild Goat are there?

The wild goat in itself is a species and not a genus that may encompass other species. This animal does have a few subspecies namely the bezoar ibex, Sindh ibex, Chiltan ibex, and the Turkmen wild goat. Purely in terms of taxonomy, the domesticated goat (Capra aegagrus hircus) is a subspecies of the wild goat yet their behavior and appearance may suggest otherwise.  

Where does a Wild Goat live?

These goats live in mountain ranges and forests. In terms of country borders, you may come across these animals in Turkey, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan, Iran, or Pakistan. These animals are restricted to parts of the Middle East, Asia, and Africa. This is in contrast to the domesticated goat which can be found in many countries across the world.

What is a Wild Goat's habitat?

This animal prefers the mountains as its habitat. They may also be found in forests, shrublands, and rocky areas. This may be confusing but the wild goat is not synonymous with the mountain goat, although the former does often live in mountains.

Who do Wild Goats live with?

These animals live in herds. These herds vary in number depending on the subspecies and the region in which they live. Some herds are divided by sex, which may meet only during the mating season.

How long does a Wild Goat live?

The life span of this animal is in the range of 12-22 years.

How do they reproduce?

These animals engage in sexual reproduction. The male bachelor herd meets the female herd during the breeding season. The females are able to bear children when they reach between 1 and a half to two and a half years old. The males take longer to reach sexual maturity, between the age of three and four. The gestation period for the female is about 120 days, and one to three young are born after that. It takes about six months for the kids to wean.

What is their conservation status?

The wild goat population has declined globally. There are only about 70,000 mature goats left in the wild according to recent estimates, although these numbers appear to have stabilized. The main threats to these animals are the expansion of agriculture and livestock farming, poaching, and loss of habitat due to logging. Their horns are a big reason why wild goat hunting is common among trophy hunters.

What do Wild Goats look like?

These animals have curved horns that help identify their subspecies. They also have fur that may be colored grey, brown, tan, reddish, or even black. They are ancestors of the domesticated goat so they share similar facial features.

How cute are they?

This goat, with its curved horns, looks majestic. They are a pretty adorable species and can be considered cute.

How do they communicate?

These goats communicate through bleating. The mother has certain calls that she uses for the young wild goat after she gives birth.

How big is a Wild Goat?

Their length of this animal is between 52-72 in, while their height is somewhere between 26-45 in. They are almost the same size as mountain goats.

How fast can a Wild Goat move?

This goat is a moderately fast runner and can reach speeds of 10 mph with relative ease.

How much does a Wild Goat weigh?

The wild goat's weight varies depending on the subspecies. However, their average weight is somewhere between 71-243 lb.

What are their male and female names of the species?

Male goats may be referred to as bucks or billies, while the females are called nannies or does. These names, although more commonly used for the domesticated goat, apply to the wild variety as well.

What would you call a baby Wild Goat?

A baby wild goat is called a kid.

What do they eat?

Wild goats, and goats in general, have a reputation of being able to eat almost everything. These animals don't stick around in one place for too long thus the variety of plants they consume is greater. Depending on what region they live in, these goats eat various kinds of grass, grain, hay, and weeds.

Are they dangerous?

The ibex subspecies of the wild goat have horns that may be considered dangerous.  The bezoar ibex is in fact known for its large horns, which are the largest in relation to its body weight among all animals. These horns serve as a defense mechanism against predators or even as a weapon against other goats to establish dominance. It is best to keep a healthy distance from these goats, unlike the domesticated goat which is more used to human presence.

How hard can a Wild Goat headbutt?

Goat headbutts can be playful while they are young, but as they grow older they can cause serious damage. There have been cases where a headbutt from even a domesticated goat inflicted serious injury. So it is safe to say that a headbutt from a wild goat is really hard and can inflict serious injury or even be fatal.

Did you know...

It must be noted that while four subspecies of the wild goat are ibex, not all ibexes are wild goats. An example of an ibex that is not a wild goat is the Siberian ibex, although both share the same genus Capra. The confusion arises from the colloquial use of 'wild goat'. One thing is for certain though, no ibex is a deer.

The goat tastes pretty good and apparently tastes similar to mutton. Considering that these goats are listed as Near Threatened by the IUCN, it is not a good idea to kill them for their meat.

To catch a wild goat, hunters lay a trap for them by luring them with food.

As featured in 'Breath of the Wild', wild alpine goats and wild mountain goats are technically not subspecies of the Capra aegagrus, even though they have similarities.

Wild Goat vs Nigerian Dwarf

Unlike the wild goat, the Nigerian dwarf goat is not actually a descendant of the goat at all. The Nigerian dwarf goat was brought from Africa between 1930 and 1960, and it was among the smaller goats of West Africa. The Nigerian dwarf was bred to appear like a mini version of dairy goats.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! Learn more about some other mammals including the mountain goat and the plains zebra.

You can even occupy yourself at home by drawing one of our Wild Goat coloring pages.