This juvenile bighorn sheep was resting comfortably next to mom near Dillion Pass. An adult female (ewe) Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep can exceed 200 pounds. An ewe’s lifespan is 10 to 14 years. A ram can top out at 500 pounds. The huge animal’s curved horns can weigh 30 pounds. Bighorn sheep were once plentiful in the Badlands before being overhunted. The animals were reintroduced to the park in 1964 and again in 2004. The population is now about 250. Bighorn sheep thrive here because they have no natural predators.
