The US National Park Service announced a major initiative to research desert bighorn sheep populations inhabiting three Utah national parks.
The federal park service is conducting the study in partnership with the US Bureau of Land Management, the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, and Utah State University.
Bighorn sheep are common throughout the western United States and Canada, with populations stretching from southwestern Texas all the way to the Canadian Rocky Mountains. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) gives the species a conservation status of “least concern.”
NPS clarifies that bighorn sheep populations targeted by the study are not threatened or in decline. Rather, the exercise is a data-gathering operation meant to better inform state and federal management of the species.
Research will occur primarily in Capitol Reef National Park, Arches National Park, and Canyonlands National Park, all found in Utah.
“Bighorn sheep face a range of stressors, including disease, changing conditions, and human recreation,” said Lena Pace, superintendent of the Southeast Utah Group. Monitoring their health, abundance, distribution, and movement helps managers understand how populations are responding to these pressures and make informed decisions about their conservation.”
The study will be conducted between early November and December 2026. NPS says parks visitors may notice helicopters flying overhead or nearby as scientists track bighorn sheep from the sky.
Park Info
Park Name:
Capitol Reef National Park
Location:
Utah, USA
More Information: https://www.nps.gov/care/index.htm
