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Desert Bighorn Sheep Spotted In Tucson Mountain District Of Saguaro National Park; First Sighting In Six Decades

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Published Date

March 22, 2016
Desert bighorn sheep at Saguaro National Park/FOSNP

A motion-triggered camera caught these two desert bighorn sheep in the North Fork of Javelina Wash in Saguaro National Park/Friends of Saguaro

A sharp-eyed visitor, and a motion-triggered camera, have confirmed the presence of desert bighorn sheep in the Tucson Mountain District of Saguaro National Park, sightings that are the first in the district in 60 years.

The sheep were photographered on March 13. 

"A park visitor reported seeing two young sheep on Wasson Peak on the morning of Tuesday, March 15; subsequently, photos were retrieved from a remote motion-triggered wildlife camera that documented the animals in the park on Sunday, March 13," according to Friends of Saguaro National Park. "The sheep are believed to be from a herd known to be in the Ironwood Forest National Monument area northwest of Saguaro National Park. If so, they would have crossed the Avra Valley -- a movement corridor that would be severed by a proposed interstate highway route."

The wildlife cameras, many purchased with the help of the friends group, "were set up by middle and high school students, under guidance from park staff, as part of a Friends-sponsored environmental education / resource protection project specifically designed to try to capture images of species that haven't been seen in the park for years. We think these kids deserve an "A" for their work!"

You can support similar projects by donating to Friends of Saguaro National Park.

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