Bighorn Ewe Stand-off
Typically in the animal kingdom, the males are known to fight for several reasons including dominance, mating rights, territory, etc. What is often not known about or observed is when females confront each other. Seeing these two bighorn ewes face off like this was something very unexpected.
I have now witnessed moose, elk, white-tailed deer and bighorn sheep females all fight in some sort of way. Most likely they all were fighting over dominance and social status, but I am not positive, that is only a speculation.
Captured in South Dakota's Badlands National Park.
The bighorn sheep is a species of sheep in North America named for its large horns. These horns can weigh up to 30 lb, while the sheep themselves weigh up to 300 lb. Recent genetic testing indicates three distinct subspecies of "Ovis canadensis", one of which is endangered.
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