Threatened with eventual extinction, Bighorn numbers are only one-tenth the population that existed when Europeans first settled the west. Desert Bighorn Sheep are beautiful and majestic animals with strong historical ties to Kern County and the native peoples of our region. Today, the total population of the Desert Bighorn Sheep is only about 13,000 animals.
The highly anticipated Desert Bighorn Sheep Exhibit featuring a ram and two ewes opened November 15th, 2012. The exhibit is CALM’s first cooperative breeding program and is part of a collaboration with the six other institutions in the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) population management plan for this rare species. The ram and two ewes are on loan in partnership with the San Diego Zoo Safari Park and Los Angeles Zoo. The animals will establish CALM’s breeding stock and eventually CALM’s herd.
