Fauna Series No. 6

Fauna of the National Parks — No. 6 The Bighorn of Death Valley

Figure 71.—January 1957. Age: 9 years.

Figure 72.—August 1958. Age: 10 years.

Figure 73.—July 1959. Age: 11 years.

Figure 74.—April 1960. Age: 12 years.

Figure 75.—January 1961. Age 1 years. Note that beginning in 1957 at 9 years, no new light-colored annual rings has matured, so that now in 1961 the dark "ring" at the base of the horn is actually composed of five narrow dark rings, each indicating a year's growth. This is typical of desert bighorn ram development.

Figure 76.—As we left in 1961, the Old Man followed along the fence, bleating. We were reminded that he was 13 years old and that his teeth were going now and that when we came another year things might not be the same. For things will not be the same there again—when the Old Man is gone.

Figure 77.—Predictions were made in 1937 that wild burros would drive the bighorn away from Lost Spring. But the 1960 observations of the authors, and this 1961 photograph by Park Naturalist Ro Wauer, indicate that bighorn and burros have shared this water without apparent friction for a quarter of a century.

Last Modified: Thurs, May 16 2002 10:00:00 pm PDT
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