If you see sheep … The total number of female bighorn sheep in the Sierra has essentially quadrupled from its low of about 50 in 1995 to about 200, but has shown no gains for two years. The Wildlife Society; 11/2011. Mitigating disease risks from domestic sheep is critical for Sierra Nevada bighorn sheep population recovery and long-term species management.

The total population of bighorn sheep in the Sierra Nevada has made large gains in the past decade. By the beginning of the 20th century, Sierra Nevada Bighorn Sheep had declined to nine known herds. Here, on an immense plateau swept clean of snow by violent winds, or where a tall peak crumbles into scree above a hidden meadow, bighorn pick their way along precipitous slopes with the … By 1948, only five herds remained. The Journal of Wildlife Management 75(8):1753–1766; 2011; DOI: 10.1002/jwmg.232. Because the Sierra bighorn population is so fragile, we ask that you make every effort to avoid spooking the sheep. Sierra Nevada bighorn sheep (O. c. sierrae) – formerly California bighorn sheep, a genetically distinct subspecies that only occurs in the Sierra Nevada in California. However, historic observer records suggest that bighorn sheep may have ranged as far west as the California Coastal Ranges which are contiguous to the Sierra Nevada via the Transverse Ranges .
The number of Sierra Nevada Bighorn Sheep in pre-historic times is unknown, but the population likely exceeded 1,000 individuals.

Any stressful disturbance can negatively affect a sheep’s fitness and its ability to survive in the harsh environment of the High Sierra. Disease, Population Viability, and Recovery of Endangered Sierra Nevada Bighorn Sheep (PDF). Yet evidence suggests that population growth in numerous herds is slowing and may be reversing. Sierra bighorn inhabit some of the most glorious wild landscapes in all the Range of Light. Habitat.