Wildwood Park & Zoo Welcome Two New Aoudad Ewes

Monday, October 5th, 2026 -- 8:01 AM

Wildwood Park & Zoo is excited to announce the arrival of two new aoudad ewes, both captive-born at another accredited Wisconsin zoo.

The young females (Ember and Ash) were selected for their docile temperaments, strong health, and reproductive soundness and have now been successfully introduced to Wildwood's existing aoudad group.

The two new ewes are settling in well and have been observed spending time with the residents' animals. The group is already beginning to move together throughout the habitat, with the new arrivals frequently staying close to the established animals and showing encouraging signs of forming a cohesive herd. The addition comes with an unexpected development involving one of Wildwood's original aoudads.

When the original group arrived approximately a year ago, all of the animals were believed to be female. Visitors who followed the herd may remember that the animals were exceptionally feral when they first arrived and were extremely difficult for staff to safely handle.

Because of their temperament, veterinary procedures had to be conducted quickly and carefully with animal and staff safety as the priority. After nearly a year of observation and continued familiarity with the animals, staff recently determined that one of the animals originally identified as an ewe is, in fact, a ram.

Acadia is actually Atlas!

While it may seem surprising, misidentification of sex can occur with animals that have limited interaction with human caregivers, particularly when they are newly acquired, extremely flighty, or difficult to safely handle.

As the aoudads have become more established at Wildwood and staff has been able to observe their behavior and physical characteristics over time, the mystery surrounding Atla's identity was finally solved.

And in this case, the discovery is particularly good news.  With Atlas now confirmed as a ram and three females making up the herd, Wildwood Zoo has the beginnings of a potential breeding group.

If breeding occurs as expected, the Zoo could welcome its first aoudad lambs as early as March or April. Aoudads, also known as Barbary sheep, are native to the mountainous regions of North Africa.

They were introduced into the United States in the early 1900s and subsequently established populations in several parts of the country, particularly in the southwestern United States.Their ability to thrive in rugged, dry environments has made them an interesting and resilient species for zoological collections.

"We couldn't have planned this any better," said Kyle Kirk, Zoo Manager  "What we thought was a group of females has turned out to include a ram, and now we've added two carefully selected females. Watching these animals go from extremely difficult to handle to beginning to function as a herd has been incredibly rewarding. And if everything goes as we hope, we may have some very exciting little additions to introduce to the community next spring."

For Wildwood, the growing herd provides an opportunity to educate visitors about a species with an unusual history in North America, while potentially allowing guests to experience the natural social dynamics and reproduction of aoudads firsthand.

(Photo courtesy of Wildwood Park & Zoo)

Feel free to contact us with questions and/or comments.