The Birth of Desert Big Horn Sheep

We’ve been fortunate to see several desert big horn sheep in the wild while we’ve lived here. Usually, we see only one or two, but a couple of times we’ve had the opportunity to see whole herds of them heading up into the rocking cliffs.

Desert Big Horn Sheep are pretty interesting animals as they can survive on very little water which is important given the low level of rain fall that we receive each year. They get the vast majority of their moisture (hydration) from the vegetation that they eat. During the winter months, when it is cooler, they rarely ever visit watering holes. During the summer, they only visit every few days. How is that for efficient use of food!

When we went on a field trip with grandma and grandpa to the San Diego Safari Park, we had no idea that we were in for a special treat. We arrived at the Desert Big Horn Sheep enclosure just after 2 of the females had given birth. The little lambs were just getting their feet under them. One of the lambs was being taken away to be checked over by the vet techs to make sure it was okay while the other stumbled around and tried to nurse for the first time.

Desert Big Horn Sheep have a gestation period of roughly 150 to 180 days. The lambs, like their parents, don’t need as much hydration as many small animals. In fact, they only nurse occasionally and are completely weened by 4-6 weeks. The lambs are fairly independent and end up forming their own mini herd within a few weeks of being born. They still stay near the adults, but they like to be independent of their elders.

Unlike many animals, Desert Big Horn Sheep do not  begin mating right away. Ewes usually wait until they are 2 – 3 years old. Rams, who are ever fighting over mating rights, tend to wait until they are nearly 7 years old as it can take that long to be able to hold their own in long horn-to-horn battles. Did you know that these battles can last longer than 24 hours? Talk about tiring. Whew!

It was really fun and interesting to be able to see this event. The fact that 2 ewes gave birth was even more exciting. The little lambs were adorable.

I wish the shots would have turned out better, but it was really bright out and I had to really zoom in to capture everything. While the pictures are okay, the experience was wonderful.