SOCIAL GROUPING DYNAMICS OF MOUFLON (OVIS AMMON) DURING RUT

Studied grouping dynamics of mouflons in relation co the presence of m ales during rut in October-December. Before rut, older males and femal es were strongly segregated. During rut, the monthly group size distri butions closely fit truncated negative binomial distributions. In Octo ber, mouflons lived in small groups and males entered female ranges. S ingle adult rams, especially older ones, wandered looking for oestrous ewes while younger rams were mostly In matriarchal groups In forested areas. In October, the observed sex ratio was male-biased. In Novembe r, mouflons used more open areas, the sex ratio declined and group siz e increased. The m?le population observed included few older rams per potentially receptive female. We suggest that the rut delayed the aggr egative tendency and resulted in high social instability. Adult males provoked dissociation of mother-lamb bonds during the mating peak. Mae lambs appeared more disturbed than female lambs but returned earlier in ewe groups. In December, males over 6 years old were rarely observe d with females, whereas younger rams stayed with ewes up to January, w hen mouflons frequently formed large groups.