The Tahr - The Phantom of the Hajar Mountains
The Arabian Tahr is one of the most timid mammals in the world. It is a cross between a goat and an ibex and is related to the musk-ox and the chamois.
The steep and jagged slopes of the Jebel Aswad, the "Black Mountain", are the home of one of the least known and researched and one of the most timid mammals in the world, the Arabian Tahr, which is a half-goat. The tahr, a cross between a goat and an ibex, is related to the musk-ox and the chamois.
A larger form of the tahr also lived in the oak forests of Europe, but this was between the two Ice Ages, between 100,000 and a million years ago. The tahr is a relic of prehistoric fauna that was only able to survive in one of the remotest corners of the earth. The tahr’s survival instinct leads it to flee at the slightest sound.
Only few people have ever seen it in the wild. There are assumed to be about 200 of this rare species living in the entire Hajar Mountain range.
Georg Popp
What makes this travel guide so special? This book is a product of the long-term personal friendship between the authors, Mr Georg Popp and Mr Juma Al-Maskari and their continuing fascination with the Sultanate of Oman. Combining their insights from European and Omani perspectives, they have produced a guide which is as much about culture and history as it is a practical guide for planning your itinerary.
