Mouflon

The bigger a male mouflon's (Ovis orientalis) horns, the greater his status in the herd. The vast horns arch back and swing round to the front, framing the ram's face. If sheer size does not put off any challengers, a battering contest ensues. The rams leap at each other with a crunching impact of horn on horn. Humans, sadly, covet these massive appendages and the mouflon has been hunted to virtual extinction in its home islands. However, introduced populations on the European mainland seem to be thriving. The mouflon is thought to be one of the original ancestors of all modern sheep.