The moufflon, Ovis orientalis, is a small wild sheep of the mountains of the Middle East and Mediterranean islands, believed to be the ancestor of domestic sheep. Hunted for its meat in its native range and introduced elsewhere, it yields lean game meat similar to mutton. As with other wild game, safety depends on clean field dressing, rapid cooling, and compliance with hunting regulations, and meat from wild sheep is not subject to the routine inspection applied to farmed livestock.