Bighorn Sheep 🐐

(Peninsular) Bighorn sheep in the Coachella Valley are desert survivors. Their brown coat blends into rocky slopes, and males (rams) and females (ewes) sport horns—rams’ horns curl, ewes’ horns stay shorter. They eat native plants and can crack open barrel cacti to get at the juicy inside.

They’re not aggressive and rely on sharp eyesight and sure-footed agility to avoid predators. Ewes lead the herd, while rams join mainly during the breeding season. Most rams live 9–12 years; ewes can reach 14. Mountain lions are their biggest threat, and habitat loss, disease, and low lamb survival also take a toll.

The Bighorn Institute helps protect these endangered sheep by studying them, restoring desert habitats, and spreading awareness of their importance.