Arizona Bighorn Sheep

Here are the only Bighorn Sheep I have found in Arizona --- so far. I am going to be persistent, though. It's not a great photo. I was on the opposite side of the ravine and couldn't get any closer. And, as "luck" would have it they were standing in the early morning sun. These are the Rocky Mountain Bighorn Sheep, though, as opposed to the Desert Bighorn Sheep which I have been looking for here in Southern Arizona.  As I mentioned yesterday, I was actually looking for Mexican Grey Wolves when I came across these two rams. There are 40-50 wolves in Arizona. There are another 20 to 30 in New Mexico. So, they are not easy to find. That's the total Mexican Grey Wolf population in the US.  On the other hand, the estimation of the Desert Bighorn Sheep population is about 18,000 in the US with 5 to 6000 in Arizona. Yet, even with a number like 6,000 they are hard to find. (For comparison, the deer population in the US is estimated at over 20 million). But, unlike deer bighorns like the high mountain wilderness areas. They have been able to adapt to the heat of the desert. The Desert Bighorn Sheep can go three weeks without water. That makes even hanging out at mountain waterholes a lengthy and patient process. There is a wonderful book entitled: "Counting Sheep: Twenty Ways of Seeing Desert Bighorn" (The Southwest Center) ~ Gary Paul Nabhan (Author) It is a collection of essays from writers who also have a passion for wildlife. After reading that you'll get a good feel for the difficulty in finding the Desert Bighorn.