The spectacular mountain goat that's spending the summer in a Malaga village

The very high temperatures experienced in Malaga province in the last few weeks have not only affected the human population, but also the local wildlife. The village of Canillas de Aceituno in the Axarquía has had an unusual summer visitor: a spectacular male mountain goat that comes down every morning at around 3.30am and walks through the streets of the village, which is located in the foothills of La Maroma, Malaga province's highest peak (2,064 metres), within the Sierras Tejeda, Almijara and Alhama natural park.

The impressive specimen is about ten years old and looks to be in good condition, based on its antlers. Local resident Rocío Ortiz García, 41, managed to capture footage of the animal from the balcony of her home in Calle Convento on several consecutive early mornings. "My son works in the hotel business and comes home late, so I stay awake waiting for him," she explains.

A fan of photography and videos, which she frequently uploads to her social media, she has been capturing this male Spanish ibex in the same area for more than a week, "punctually at 3.30 in the morning" she says. The animal doesn't appear to be scared of the barking dogs or the presence of cats. "It calmly eats leaves from a mulberry tree and a medlar tree in the area and drinks water left by residents for the cats," says Ortiz.

This nocturnal visitor has become a topic of conversation in the village. Some residents are angry because they say it has eaten flowers and plants they have on their doorstep. Others, however, are delighted with its presence and thank Ortiz for staying up until the early hours of the morning to wait.

"I really like to take photos of my village for people to see and in this case, it's impressive to see a wild animal strolling down my street so peacefully," she says. It is also common for them to wander into rural properties in summer to drink from the pools.

This is not the first time that wild goats have been spotted in towns and villages in the province. In May 2021, in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic, several goats took the opportunity to go sightseeing in Frigiliana. They were spotted walking along the rooftops and streets of the Axarquía town and were also captured in the cemetery in Comares. Previously, in April 2019 four goats were videoed walking through the streets of Archidona.