Bighorn Sheep!

 It's estimated that only 100 - 200 desert bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis nelsoni) live in Joshua Tree National Park. That's a really tiny population when you realize that JTNP is approximately 800,000 acres! They prefer steep, rocky, and inaccessible terrain, and they blend in perfectly with their background. If you hike in JTNP, it's very unlikely you will see one. I've done hundreds of hike in the park, but my one and only sighting was in 2016. A big male (they are called rams) jumped across the trail right in front of me just as it was getting dark and scared the heck out of me! I posted about it here. So you can imagine my surprise and shock when my friend and I rounded a rocky outcropping on a recent hike and came face to face with a female bighorn (called a ewe).

She didn't seem too upset by our presence. I think we were more surprised than she was! After I got over my initial shock, I decided to take a chance and, quietly as possible, open my backpack and change lenses. I had a wide angle lens on my camera, which makes everything look smaller and further away. Exactly the wrong lens for wildlife photography. But the risk was she might be long gone by the time I changes lenses.

 

This was my lucky day. She stood still, patiently waiting for me to change lenses, and posed politely on the rocks. How cool is that! Even luckier, a bighorn ram stood about 15 yards behind her, a little further back on the rocks.

 

 

 

A big, handsome ram. But look at his right horn (or where his right horn should be). Other than a nub, it appears to be totally missing!

 

I checked with a friend of mine, who's something of an expert on bighorn sheep. He said it's pretty common for rams to break off small pieces from their horn, but he had never seen anything like this. By the time a ram is 7-8 years old, their horns can weigh as much as 30 pounds, and they can actually weigh more than all the other bones in their body combined. So this poor guy is seriously out of balance, with 15 lbs on the left side of his head and nothing on the right. And yet he looks big and healthy. Talk about overcoming adversity!! I think we could all learn a little something from this guy.
 

When they don't move, they can be tough to see!

 

She must not have been too upset by our presence because she decided to have a bite to eat!

 

Did I mention that they are world-class climbers??

 

This sighting occurred in the early part of our hike, so we have pretty much our entire hike in front of us. But I was totally elated having spotted and photographed these bighorn sheep! And to think, I very nearly left my telephoto lens at home. I never would have forgiven myself!! I'll share the main hike at another time, but let's fast forward about 5-6 hours to the end of the hike.

 

As we followed this desert road back to our car, I spotted what looked like three people way up on the rocks. I took out my telephoto lens, and guess what? MORE BIGHORN SHEEP!

It looks like two ewes on either side of a lamb. And even at a great distance (this was taken through a 300mm lens), all three appear to be looking right at us!
 

A big crop shows them looking right at us and holding perfectly still. Probably trying to evaluate if we are a threat. I like the floppy ears of the little one in the middle!

 

 

After hiking a little further down the road, I scanned the rocks and could only see one sheep. I wonder where the other two went??

 

Another big crop... ahh, there they are!!

 

Wow, this turned out to be an epic hike, and one I will never forget! It's been over 5 years, and many many hikes, since my last bighorn sheep sighting. To see 5 in one day is amazing!! 

 

Linking with Skywatch Friday.

Thanks for stopping by.

Stay safe and stay healthy!