Alberta's Provincial Mammal

These beautiful Rocky Mountain Bighorn Sheep often congregate to graze near the roads in Jasper National Park. It is possible to tell the age of the males (recognized as having the large, thick, curled horns) by counting the dark rings on their horns. The darkest ring (which is composed of two rings close together) usually occurs around the age of 4, when the males begin mating, which is a stressful process for them and thus results in a ring to their horns. It is usually fairly easy to locate this double ring. Each dark ring after that occurs annually in the winter.