Hunting for the Cretan mountain goat or the Kri-Kri ibex (Capra aegagrus creticus) is very popular in Europe but is organized just in a couple of countries. And that's not a coincidence, the Kri- Kri ibex female had the honor of suckling Zeus himself.
This name Kri-Kri sounds strange because people in Europe call so “the singing" insect – a cricket. Nobody knows why and when people have started calling it that. Probably it happened so because those ibexes were originally from the island of Crete or because their bleating reminded the cricket’s song. We guess that both variants are right. The natives from the Crete island use different names for these animals. They call females ibexes- sanada and males- agrime as if these are two different species.
The latest genetic research confirmed the Cretan goats are the feral goats. Their ancestors dwelled in the Mediterranean region in 8000-7500 BC. That animal had been captured in the Minoan civilization art- one of the most mysterious culture Eastern Mediterranean of the bronze age (2700-1400 BC). The murals with Kri-Kri images were found in the result of the archaeological digs on the island. Some scientists think that there was the religious cult of this animal in the ancient times.
Nobody knew and counted the number of animals till the end of XIX century. Lorence, in 1809, was the first who describe this species using trophies, taken in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Later in 1838, Schinz described it as the Cretan endemic.
In the mid of XX century Kri-Kri population was on the brink of extinction (only 200 individuals left) because it was the only source of meat for the Greek partisans during the Second World War. In 1962 the authority made the historical decision to established the National Park, located on the territory of the Samaria gorge, to protect this species. Nowadays you can meet them there. In 70s the Kri-Kri population was artificially restored in the National park of Bourazani. The number of populations began to grow steadily. The main Kri-Kri habitat in nature is on Crete and consists of more then 2000 animals. We can also meet them on the next islands Dia, Todor, Agi-Pantes and in the countries of Macedonia and Greece.
The length of its body is 1,2-1,6 m, not including 15-20cm tail. The height at the withers is about 80cm, weight - from 15 to 40 kg.
Its color depends on the season. It’s reddish-brown during the summer season and lightly gray in winter time. But legs and the muzzle are always dark-brown. The black stripe goes along its back. Its breast, sides and shoulders are covered by dark-brown or even black “apron”. The males heads are decorated by two curled back horns.
Most of the animals lead a secretive, sedentary lifestyle. They prefer to stay on the steep rocky slopes covered with bushes and changed by mountain-steppe parts. The adult’s females and males stay separate by small groups and gather only for the rut season -from October to December.
The main problem with these animals is to preserve the purity of the species. They are easily interbred with the domestic goats and the animals who became feral not long ago. It mostly happens in the areas with the high density of the local population. You can easily meet the goats not afraid of people but look like Kri-Kri ibexes.
Hunting for Kri-Kri ibexes is prohibited on Crete. But you can legally hunt for it in Greece and Macedonia. We all treat Greece as the cradle of European culture and civilization but not many people think about it as a hunting destination. And completely in vain.
Hunting for a Kri-Kri Ibex in Greece is organized on the island Sapienza, located at the southwestern tip of the Peloponnese Peninsula. The hunters accommodate in the cozy and comfortable private hotels in the town Metoni, on the shore of the Ionic sea. That town has a centuries-old history. During the Crusades it fell under the power of the Venetians who built the fortress there and called it Modon. For a long time, the owner of the fortress owned the Peloponnese Peninsula too. Nowadays it’s a very popular Greek resort from where the ferry departs to Sapienza island.
Greece is located in the Mediterranean climate zone characterized by hot, dry summers and chilly, wet winters. The best time for hunting is the beginning of winter season - November. The ferry connection can be canceled for several days at at that period because of rains and storms. Hunting on Sapienza island is prohibited on Sundays. You should bear that hunters can use the rented smooth-bore weapons without optics only. It’s a specific of Greek safari. That’s why the hunters will better train their shooting skills with such weapon for 30-40 meters.
Hunting there isn’t hard because there are not high mountains with lonely peaks with steep slopes. The average altitude is to 2000 m above sea level. Hunting time is limited from 10 am till 3 pm. It’s the time when you can stay on the island. But the density of ibex population doesn’t give you any chance to leave the island without the trophy.
Hunting in Macedonia is also easy not less effective. The Republic is located in the South-East of Europe, on the Balkan Peninsula. It borders with Kosovo and Serbia on the north, with Albania on the west, Greece on the south and Bulgaria on the east. There are lots of architectural monuments from ancient to the Middle Ages. The nature of the Republic, listed as a UNESCO world heritage site, allows to consider it to be of the best European countries for the active recreations such as trekking, hunting, rafting and sport fishing. The most part of its territory is gorges of such mountains systems as Skopska Crna Gora, Pind (the highest point - 2753m) and Pirin. They are separated by wide intermountain basins. The hunters from all over the world arrive there to hunt for the Kri-Kri ibex. The season lasts from September 1st, to November 31. They can also hunt for the Balkan chamois, mouflon and deer there.
The nature resort Lakavika is one of the most popular hunting territories. It’s located in 100 km from Skopje, the capital of the country, and takes about 7K ha. The territory of 2,5K ha is fenced. Hunting is organized in both parts. There is mostly mountain relief with typical Mediterranean vegetation. The reserve is home to populations of mouflon, wild boar, fallow deer, spotted deer, ROE deer, maned sheep and the Kri-Kri goats.
Hunting is organized from the approach or from a sit-down. It has sense to calculate the hunting trip when three hunting days are devoted for one species.
Accommodation during the trip is in the luxury hunting house, on the reserve territory. There are eight rooms.
Russian citizens need a visa to visit Macedonia, which must be issued in advance at the consular section of the Macedonian Embassy in Moscow. Visa-free entry to the territory of the Republic of Macedonia is possible if you have the origin of the invitation issued by the authority in Macedonia or you have the tourist voucher which confirms your payment for the hotel during your stay in the country or you have the valid Schengen visa of category "C".
