Rocky Mountain Bighorn Sheep (named for their large horns weighing up to 30 lbs) inhabit the alpine meadows and grassy mountain slopes of Glacier National Park . Glacier is home to an estimated 300 Bighorn Sheep who favor steep terrain that provides cover from predators.
While not considered threatening to visitors unlike Glacier’s resident grizzly bears and elk, encountering a charging bighorn ram on one of the narrow cliffside trails common in the park can present a dangerous situation like this one for a family hiking along the Highline Trail.
With nowhere to go but up, the family quickly climbed the high side of the trail to give the rams enough space to pass by without risking getting knocked over the edge. While it may have been a bit hectic scrambling out of the way as a couple rams charged by, this was no doubt a memorable experience witnessing one of Glacier most most majestic species.
About Bighorn Sheep:
Ovis canadensis
Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep, named for their large horns that can weigh up to 30 pounds on males, inhabit alpine meadows and grassy mountain slopes in the Rocky Mountains of Canada and the United States. Their ability to climb steep terrain allows them to find cover from predators. Traveling in herds and feeding on grasses and shrubs throughout the year, they are one of the few species that can survive winters at high elevations.
