India, Oct. 29 -- A new animal can often seem like a small addition to a landscape, but things can go wrong very fast. Aoudad are native to northern Africa, but were introduced into the wild in Palo Duro Canyon, Texas, in 1957, according to a 2025 Texas A&M AgriLife Extension fact sheet. Since then, these long-horned sheep have spread to several regions of the state. The animals now compete with native wildlife, including bighorn sheep, for habitat.

Aoudad, also known as Barbary sheep, are native to the dry mountains of northern Africa. The species is listed as vulnerable by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature. The Texas Tech University account in The Mammals of Texas, Seventh Edition adds that fewer than 10,000 aoudad...