How endangered Iberian ibex is thriving after French Pyrenees comeback

The Iberian ibex (Capra pyrenaica), known as the bouquetin Iberique in French, disappeared from France in the early 20th century. 

This species of goat is known for its long, curved horns and preference for steep, rugged hillsides. 

With little chance of the species repopulating the area naturally from Spain, authorities decided to give it a helping hand, and a reintroduction programme was born. 

It began in 2014 after “much perseverance”, Alexandre Garnier, ibex project manager at the Pyrenees Natural Park, told The Connexion. 

“A declaration of intent signed by the French, Spanish and Andorran governments established an agreement for enhanced collaboration to promote the conservation and protection of Pyrenean biodiversity, in which the reintroduction of the Iberian ibex was identified as one of the priority actions,” he said.

The agreement paved the way for Spain to send ibex to the Hautes-Pyrénées and Ariège. 

The first ibexes were released in July 2014 and today, the population numbers around 900 individuals. There are some 500 in the Pyrenees National Park, 300 in the Ariège Pyrenees Regional National Park and 100 in the Val d’Aran in Spain. 

The most recent release took place in the Aure valley on July 7, 2025, when 17 animals – 10 females and two males – were brought from Spain for a new life in France. 

The reintroduction programme has helped the species to reestablish itself on the steep slopes and cliffs of the Pyrenees, which is vital for the health of the area, according to Mr Garnier. 

“Ibex populations have their place in the Pyrenean ecosystem – for example, they provide a food source (through carcasses) for scavengers, including the bearded vulture, a protected species of high conservation importance.”

But moving animals from one country to another has posed several challenges. The process of catching and transporting them must be carefully orchestrated. 

“First, ibexes must be captured from the source population. They are captured in cage traps by Spanish teams from the Guadarrama National Park. Appropriate means of transportation must also be found to limit the animals' stress. They are transported together in a ‘cattle truck’-type vehicle with eye masks.” 

The animals are tested to make sure they are healthy, and once in France, must be monitored carefully once released. 

“Are they adapting, reproducing and in good health? We are helped by GPS collars which send us the position of the animals daily,” said Mr Garnier. 

He hails the programme as an undisputable success “in the sense that viable population centres have been created in the Pyrenees”. 

But he notes that there remain important conversation issues for the species. 

“Current genetic diversity is limited because all individuals come from the same location in Spain.”

“How will the species adapt to global changes – climate warming, emergence of new diseases, changes in food resources? How will it colonize the Pyrenees? There may also be threats to the species such as interactions with domestic species, human disturbance, and poaching.” 

A National Action Plan aims to study and address these conservation issues.

“It aims to advance knowledge, in collaboration with researchers, by placing GPS collars on animals born in the Pyrenees, conducting blood tests to study potential diseases and better understanding the genetic characteristics of populations.

It will also organise consultations to look at the future of the species, “for example, whether and how to ensure genetic diversification from other source populations”.