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Rocky Mountain Bighorn Ram, Ovis canadensis; Badlands NP, South Dakota |
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| Rocky Mountain Bighorn lamb, Ovis canadensis; Badlands NP, South Dakota |
Audubon’s bighorn, a subspecies of the Rocky Mountain
Bighorn, were the native sheep of the South Dakota Badlands, but uncontrolled
hunting caused their extinction by 1916.
In 1964, Rocky Mountain bighorns were transplanted to the Badlands from
Colorado to establish a new herd. As of
2013, survey results estimate about 250 bighorns in the Badlands.
While visiting the Badlands a few weeks ago I came across a few ewes with a lamb, and another herd of a dozen rams. It was difficult to isolate a single animal, but after working the two herds for a while I finally got a few shots of single animals.
While visiting the Badlands a few weeks ago I came across a few ewes with a lamb, and another herd of a dozen rams. It was difficult to isolate a single animal, but after working the two herds for a while I finally got a few shots of single animals.
For more information on the bighorn sheep of the Badlands N.P. go to: http://www3.northern.edu/natsource/MAMMALS/Bighor1.htm
Top: Nikon D800,
Nikkor 500mm f4, 1/1000 sec. @ f8
Middle: Nikon D800,
Nikkor 500mm f4, 1/1600 sec. @ f8
Bottom: Nikon D800, Nikkor 500mm f4, 1/640 sec. @ f5.6
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