* Threatened or Endangered

Bighorn Sheep *

 : Ovis canadensis

 : Mammal

 : Rocky Mountains, from British Columbia to Arizona. They have also been introduced to the Badlands of North Dakota

 : Grasses and shrubs

 : Weight up to 300 lbs.

 : Least Concern

 

• Once common across western North America where they numbered in the millions, their numbers were drastically reduced due to unregulated hunting, competition from domestic sheep, and disease.

• Thanks to proper management, they are making a comeback in many areas where they have been reintroduced.

• The impressive horns of the ram are well-known and are used to battle other males for breeding rights.

• These agile animals are well adapted for scrambling up and down mountains to elude predators and find food.

• Bighorn Sheep are considered good indicators of land health due to the species’ sensitivity to human-caused problems. If sheep are thriving in an area, the overall health of the land is good.

• The land near Theodore Roosevelt National Park in western North Dakota is a good place to see these animals in the wild.

 
 
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