Bighorn Sheep
Display and photographs by Harold Basey
NUMBERS
OVER THE YEARS
It is estimated that when Jedediah Smith went over the Sierrra Nevada in 1827, there were about 1,000 Bighorn Sheep in the Sierra Nevada. In summer, these animals inhabited the high mountain peaks from just north of Sonora Pass to just south of Mount Whitney, In the late 1940s, a University of California study estimated a population number of 390 sheep in the Sierra Nevada. In the 1970s, a study by the California Department of Fish and Game came up with a Sierra Nevada population of 250 sheep. In 1999, the Sierra Nevada population had dropped to 100 or less – a loss of 90 percent. Today, the Sierra Nevada Bighorn Sheep population is estimated to be 200.
HABITAT
Two adaptations of Bighorn Sheep define their basic habitat needs. The first is their agility on precipitous rocky slopes, which is their primary means of evading predators. The second is their keen eyesight, which is their primary means of detecting predators. Bighorn Sheep select open habitats that allow detection of predators at sufficient distances to allow adequate lead-time to reach the safety of precipitous terrain.
DO
BIGHORN OCCUR IN THE GROVELAND AREA?
On December 8, 2002, at about 9:00 a.m., a Bighorn Sheep was observed on the Cherry Lake Road near Early Intake. It was halfway between Early Intake Bridge and Holm Powerhouse Road. It was reported to be over 200 pounds and in good shape. This observation puts this Bighorn a long distance from any known herds. Have you seen any Bighorn in our area? Let us know.
PROTECTION OVER THE YEARS
In 1878, California State legislation provided temporary protection from hunting for all Bighorn Sheep in California. In 1883, that protection became permanent, a status that remains today for Bighorn Sheep in the Sierra Nevada. In 1972, the Bighorn of the Sierra Nevada were listed as rare under the 1970 California Endangered Species Act. That category was changed to threatened in 1994. In 1999, California upgraded the state's listing of the Sierra Nevada Bighorn to endangered. On April 20, 1999 the United States government gave emergency endangered status to Sierra Nevada Bighorn. On January 3, 2000 the United States government declared the Sierra Nevada Bighorn Sheep an endangerd species. This is the sheep's status today.