The Marco Polo sheep is a subspecies of argali sheep, named after Marco Polo. Their habitat are the mountainous regions of Central Asia. Marco Polo sheep are distinguishable mostly by their large size and spiraling horns. Their conservation status is "near threatened" and efforts have been made to protect their numbers and keep them from being hunted. It has also been suggested that crossing them with domestic sheep could have agricultural benefits.
Marco Polo sheep
Skull of an old male with large horns
A Marco Polo sheep head as a hunting trophy, mounted on a wall
Mountains in the Khunjerab National Park
The argali, also known as the mountain sheep, is a wild sheep that roams the highlands of western East Asia, the Himalayas, Tibet, and the Altai Mountains.
Argali
Stuffed specimen at the National Museum of Nature and Science, Tokyo.
Argali horns outside temporary roadside cafe, Changtang, Ladakh
Edmund Geer during the 1938–1939 German expedition to Tibet