Ibex Fight for Mating Rituals | Wild Arabia | BBC Earth
Stony canyons provide a sanctuary for animals throughout the Middle East,
like Nubian ibex. These wild goats can only survive here because precious water bubbles
to the surface in springs. In summer, the females come to drink at these pools every day.
The pool is guarded by a male ibex. He has exclusive access to the females who come here.
He tastes the air to see if any of them are ready to mate. But this is such a prized spot
that inevitably he has competition. Getting the upper ground will be key.
The male's skulls are specially reinforced to take a battering.
They're evenly matched. The battle could last up to an hour. But when a third male joins in,
no one seems to know who to fight. The party is soon broken up by a telltale smell in the air.
The ibex are right to be skittish. Bedouin have always been skilled hunters.