A wild mountain goat forced a tourist over a cliff before attacking two friends and knocking one of them unconscious while they were hiking in Spain. The Iberian ibex charged at the Dutch woman and sent her plunging 20 metres before her fall was broken by a ledge 50 meters above the ground.
The 64-year-old suffered broken wrists as a result of the fall in the Alpujarra hills of Granada, southern Spain.
She was trapped on the ledge overnight and contracted hypothermia, according to news website MurciaToday.
The two companions, both from Belgium, were found by a passing shepherd.
The Dutchwoman radioed for help but had to wait hours before her rescuers could arrive.
Spain’s Guardia Civil sent a helicopter to find the woman and received a call from the two Belgian men while airborne.
The shepherd managed to direct the rescuers to the pair who both had injuries to their bodies with one knocked out, MurciaToday reports.
They managed to locate the Dutchwoman later that night, carrying her out of the ravine on horseback.
She was transferred to the San Cecilio Clinical Hospital in Granada after the attack on May 28.
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Experts have said goats in the area are particularly aggressive at this time of year because it is breeding season.
Skilled climbers, these mammals are capable of traversing narrow ledges and jumping across canyons.
Males and females live separate lives most of the year but come together to breed.
The horns of Iberian ibex, which can be found in Spain and Portugal, can grow up to 58 inches long
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Exploitation, poaching and competition from other species had pushed the population down in recent years, but the ibex has bounced back, according to Rewilding Europe.
One estimate puts the population at 9,000 individuals.
During the breeding season, males will rut to win the right to mate with females after a courtship which lasts about half an hour.
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