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Alpine IbexThe Alpine Ibex (commonly called by its German name, steinbock) is the species of Ibex that lives in the European Alps. Being an excellent climber, its habitat is the rocky region along the snowline above alpine forests. Spain's Capra pyrenaica and North Africa's Capra nubiana are very close relatives of the Alpine Ibex but are generally regarded as separate species. Male specimens commonly grow to a height of about 1 metre (3 feet) and reach a weight of about 100 kg (220 lb). Females are usually only half the size of males. The male's curved horns can grow to an impressive length of up to 1 metre. Male ibexes often group together in bachelor herds during summer; in late autumn, during rut, males typically go their own ways and seek out a female herd of their own. After a gestation period of 6 months, a single kid (twins rarely occur) is born in May. The steinbock has for a long time been regarded as a mystical animal; almost all of its body parts and its excrement were sought after as cures for various illnesses and as ingredients for magical potions. As a result of very extensive hunting, the steinbock was almost extinct as early as the beginning 19th century. Thanks to the efforts of a small group of foresters, the last remaining animals in Gran Paradiso were protected in 1816. In 1854, Victor Emmanuel II of Italy placed the animals under his personal custody. Today, after extensive and ongoing reintroduction programs, the population in the wild is estimated at about 30,000. External link
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