The wild goat (Capra aegagrus) is a goat species, inhabiting forests, shrublands and rocky areas ranging from Turkey and the Caucasus in the west to Iran, Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, and Pakistan in the east. It has been listed as near threatened on the IUCN Red List and is threatened by habitat destruction and degradation.
Taxonomy
Capra aegagrus was the first scientific name proposed by Johann Christian Polycarp Erxleben in 1777 for the wild goat populations of the Caucasus and Taurus Mountains. Capra blythi proposed by Allan Octavian Hume in 1874 was given to wild goat horns found in Sindh.
Both the Bezoar ibex (C. a. aegagrus) and the Sindh ibex (C. a. blythi) are considered to be valid wild goat subspecies. There is debate as to whether or not the Chiltan ibex (C. a. chialtanensis). Though it was initially thought to be a distinct subspecies, it is now considered a variant of the wild goat, with some scientists suggesting it may be a hybrid with markhor.
The Cretan goat, formerly C. a. pictus, or kri-kri, was once thought to be a subspecies of wild goat, but is now considered to be a feral goat (Capra hircus), now known as Capra hircus cretica.
Distribution and habitat
thumb|[[Sindh ibex in Kirthar National Park]]
thumb|Wild goat kid in [[Borjomi-Kharagauli National Park]]
alt=Wild Goat Herd, Behbahan|thumb|Wild goat herd in [[Behbahan]]
In Turkey, the wild goat occurs in the Aegean, Mediterranean, Black Sea, Southeastern and the Eastern Anatolia regions up to in the Taurus and Anti-Taurus Mountains.
In Armenia, wild goats were recorded in the Zangezur Mountains, in Khosrov State Reserve, and in highlands of the Syunik Province during field surveys from 2006 to 2007.
In Azerbaijan, wild goats occur in Ordubad National Park, Daralayaz and Murovdag mountain areas in Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic.
In Iran's Haftad Gholleh Protected Area, wild goat herds live foremost in west-facing areas with rocky substrates, water sources and steep slopes that are far from roads.
In Turkmenistan, wild goat populations inhabit the mountain ranges of Uly Balkan
In Pakistan, wild goat herds occur in Kirthar National Park.
Behaviour and ecology
In Kirthar National Park, 283 wild goat groups were observed for 10 months in 1986. The group sizes ranged from two to 131 individuals but varied seasonally, with a mean ratio of two females per male.