The ibex is a species endemic to the Iberian Peninsula. The Sierra Nevada population is one of the most numerous and the most genetically diverse in its area of distribution. Its population numbers tend to grow, although they present oscillations, related to different environmental factors, including pathogens and/or parasites such as Sarcoptes scabiei, the agent of sarcoptic mange, its main disease, which is zoonotic in nature.

The incidence of sarcoptic mange in Sierra Nevada mountain goats over the last 30 years has been studied, comparing it with the population of the Sierra de Cazorla, where mange produced a mortality rate of more than 90 % at the end of the 80’s of the 20th century. The results have allowed to improve the previous management procedures for this species.