Animal captured

Magnificent ibex marched through the middle of the village

This imposing ibex with mighty horns walked through communities in Styria and inspected garages and carports.(Bild: Kleinhappl)

A very different kind of animal rescue! A fearless ibex marched through the Weiz district, especially Mitterdorf in the Raabtal valley, all the way to Graz-Umgebung. Thanks to the efforts of the hunters and the veterinary office, the animal could be brought to a game enclosure and to conspecifics.

Ibexes are imposing, shy wild animals that live at lofty heights - around 1000 meters above sea level - such as on the Hochlantsch. The inhabitants of Mitterdorf in particular were therefore astonished when a magnificent animal suddenly walked through the middle of the village. The ibex had been spotted for days, marching into gardens, garages and carports without fear.

 "It showed atypical behavior and was hardly shy of people," says district master hunter Sepp Kleinhappl. He also knew that such behavior can be risky.

Impressive horns!(Bild: Kleinhappl)

"A young man was walking through the Raabklamm gorge with his dog. The ibex naturally sees such a dog as a predator and is also afraid. He had already started to drum on the ground with his front legs, but fortunately nothing happened. The youngster and his dog were able to retreat."

Protecting the ibex and residents
However, action had to be taken, "if only because of the many roads here, the animal might not have survived for long. It was necessary to protect the ibex, but of course also the residents".

The animal also marched into garages and carports.(Bild: zVg)

"But there was an immediate broad consensus to save the ibex and let it live, there was no question of shooting it," says the official vet Gerhard Kutschera, who was called in to praise the hunters.

An expert veterinarian was called in, "and when we were informed that the ibex was in a dump, the vet was able to catch it with the anesthetic rifle."

District master hunter Sepp Kleinhappl(Bild: Kleinhappl)

Fifteen minutes later, the buck - which is around eight years old, weighs around 70 kilograms and has massive horns - was fast asleep. Kleinhappl: "That was quite a job until then!"

However, releasing him into the wild was not an issue either, "as he shows a bad temperament and was not afraid of people". "Something like that will always be risky," say Kutschera and Kleinhappl in unison. "So there could also be the possibility that he originally escaped from a wild enclosure."

Official veterinarian Gerhard Kutschera(Bild: Alexandra Haider)

The ibex was then taken to such an enclosure. Now it lives in a small herd, almost in freedom and yet safe!

"Hunters are there for living wild animals," says Franz Mayr-Melnhof, the provincial master hunter, praising the successful cooperation.