Officials Share Footage Of Riled-Up Rams Battling During Mating Season
on Sep 07, 2021
It’s that time of year again when people can witness one of America’s most iconic animals, the Bighorn rams, do battle in the beautiful rocky mountains of Colorado.
When it comes time to duel, they use their strong shoulder muscles to lift up their 30-pound curling horns to joust with other males, sometimes even on the edge of cliffs.
Like two cowboys having a duel, they walk a few feet away from each other, turn around, square up, and then take off running into a high-impact headbutt with each other.
The animal weighs about 300 pounds on average, with some being documented to weigh 500, so they’re heavy hitters. It’s remarkable how they have adapted to not sustain any brain damage during their battles.
Colorado Department of Parks & Wildlife shared footage of the rams as a reminder for people to keep their distance from them while mating season is upon us. Tensions are high, and they can get dangerous.
At the start of the 1900s, they were killed down to just a few thousand in North America due to diseases brought in by domestic sheep, as well as, overhunting of the animal.
However, through consistent conservation efforts by groups like the Wild Sheep Foundation, the population numbers in North America rose to 25,000 in 1950, and today they’re at 85,000.
They are one of the most heavily regulated and monitored animals on the planet and getting a tag to hunt one is usually on a hunter’s bucket list. Check out some more footage of the rams below.
