I was out hiking in Cedar Canyon Wildlife Management Area when I came across a dozen big horns feeding on the side of one of the buttes. A large ram stood up and as he moved I saw that he was missing the lower part of his hind leg. It didn't seem to bother him any because he moved around the side of the buttes with the rest of them. He was evidently able to take care of himself becuase several of the other sheep were ewes and no other rams around. The rut is either ending or just ended. The two images are large crops. I worked pretty hard to get into a position to get some good shots, but they always seemed to be one step ahead of me. You can see the missing leg in the images.
That's interesting. At this point, it doesn't seem to be hindering his health; he looks good. Makes you wonder how long he's had this injury, and whether it will affect him this winter. Do they get a lot of snow in this area?
I can't imagine sheep surviving in the mountains up here with an injury like that.
It looks like it is broken off below the joint, is that right?
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2 repliesI can't imagine sheep surviving in the mountains up here with an injury like that.
It looks like it is broken off below the joint, is that right?