Bighorn Sheep

The bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis), symbol of Rocky Mountain National Park, are well-known for their impressive horns and their incredible agility on the steep crags of the Rockies. Neither of these attributes, unfortunately, could protect the sheep from the threat of the introduction of domestic sheep, which carried disease for which the native species lacked resistance, and an insatiable appetite for the bighorn's primary diet. Bighorn populations fluctuated between the 1800s and 1940s; by the late 1950s, the sheep had disappeared from lower elevations. 

Several factors contributed to the bighorn sheep's revival. Domestic sheep were removed from ranges outside the park, opening that land for use by bighorn sheep and reducing the danger of contracting disease. The National Park Service began controlling human access to critical bighorn areas and introduced the bighorn to low- elevation winter ranges. Certain trails are now closed during lambing season, and the natural mineral lick at Horseshoe Park, which the bighorn depend on, is kept clear of enthusiastic visitors who may distress the animals.

Bighorn sheep are now frequently visible along Big Thompson Canyon, near the Fall River Entrance Station, and in many other areas where they had disappeared 40 years ago.