The Atlas Obscura Podcast · Tuesday, September 15, 2026
The Alpine Ibex population in the Italian Alps has made a significant comeback after being hunted to near extinction in the 19th century. Fewer than 100 individuals survived, but through conservation efforts, the species has recovered.
“In the 19th century, they were nearly hunted to extinction at one point. Fewer than 100 individuals survived, all clustered in one small pocket of the Alps. Every goat you see teetering on that wall exists because of a population that clawed its way back from almost nothing.”