This is a picture was taken about 10 o'clock in the morning of the ewe was killed by the mountain lion.
I know it's a little bit gory but this is the reality of predator and prey.
Mountain Lions and Bighorn Sheep in the Desert
Jan 07, 2011
The desert Bighorn Sheep are one of the very unique species that we have in the Mojave Desert. They’re the desert's largest inhabitants, but there is much more to the species than just their size. If you have been fortunate enough to witness a large ram scurry up a an impassable mountain side, then you know what I mean.
Some years ago, while hiking in a local mountain range, I found a dead ram. A short time later I had found yet another dead ram. It was from that point forward that I began searching this mountain range for Bighorn Sheep. While I learned a lot by tracking and following game trails, it took me almost six years to see a living Bighorn Sheep in this range. The difference between those early years and now is knowledge. Knowledge not only of this particular mountain range, but of desert Bighorn Sheep in general. In my years, I've found that some of the sheep’s behaviors are quite amazing and difficult to believe at first. It is also these behaviors that make them so difficult to find.
One unique characteristic of the Bighorn Sheep is their ability to survive without water for an extended period of time. When the desert has received a fresh supply of precipitation and the temperatures are cooler, Bighorn Sheep can survive for months without drinking water. However, in the driest and hottest times, they still must drink almost daily. While that may not seem to be a long time, try to survive without water for a day or two in the desert, in August, and will see what I mean. When sheep do go in search of water, they employ amazing strategies to get in and get out safely.
In California, Bighorn Sheep live as high as 12-13,000 feet in elevation, as they do in the White Mountains, or as low as 200-300 feet in places like the Chocolate Mountains. Some actually make their living in the forest like those in the San Gregorio wilderness. It is the extraordinary ability to adapt to a variety of often extreme conditions that make them so fascinating.
By following sheep in their daily lives I’ve learned a lot more than just how they survive in the desert. To learn about sheep, one must also learn about the desert in its entirety. For example, sheep often have a very strong bond to their herd and once, while in the Mojave Desert, I saw an example of this bond and was quite amazed. I happened to be riding down a wash on a motorcycle when I saw a Mountain Lion run right in front of me and proceed to my right. It was getting late and the sun had begun to set. I stopped to watch the lion for awhile and after he reached the top of a small hill, he stopped and watched me. After just a few short minutes, I started away and it was at that moment I glanced down to see a dead Bighorn Sheep. It was a full grown ewe that had just been killed and recently enough that the Mountain Lion had not started eating it. I gazed at it for a few moments and continued home. Intrigued by the kill, I devised a plan for further investigation once day light returned.
Early the following morning I arrived at the location of the dead ewe and settled in about 500 yards away with some high powered binoculars and a spotting scope. Suspecting the Mountain Lion had probably had the ewe for dinner the night prior, I was hoping to catch another glimpse of the lion somewhere in the vicinity. The sun rose and an hour passed. Nothing. Then, to my surprise, out of nowhere a group of ewes were slowly making their way down the wash. Using my 20 power binoculars with an 80mm lens, I was able to view the sheep very well. The sheep appeared a bit nervous as they were making their way down the wash and were moving toward me at a cautious pace. I wondered if the dead ewe belonged to this herd or if it happened to be a coincidence they were in the area. The answer became more evident as they got closer and closer.
This particular group of ewes numbered about 8-10. As they closed to within 30 yards of the dead ewe, the herd bunched up, as sheep often do in times of danger. After another few moments, nervously, two left the group. One appeared to be a much older ewe and the other much younger, perhaps this year’s lamb. They walked very carefully up to the dead ewe and looked at her for a minute or two. Then, they turned around and walked back to the group that had been patiently and the herd proceeded back up the mountain, albeit at a somewhat hurried pace.
To my surprise, the horrendous death and terror the Mountain Lion had inflicted didn’t stop the sheep from checking up on one of their own. When the herd discovered there was nothing that could be done to save the deceased ewe, they simply walked off. Once the herd departed, I walked up to the kill site to find that that lion had fed well the night before.
And this…is just The Way of Things in the desert.