In the winter months, the bighorn travel to the lower flanks of the mountains between 7,000 to 9,000 feet in elevation. CDFW’s role is itself unique as a state agency tasked with leading the recovery of a federally listed endangered species. Sierra Nevada bighorn sheep are present once again inside Yosemite National Park and Sequoia National Park after a 100-year absence. As a result of recovery efforts, there are now more than 600 bighorn sheep in the Sierra Nevada. Virtually all mountain ranges in the Southwest, as well as the Sierra Nevada and Rocky … Both rams (males) and ewes (females) have horns, though the horns of rams are much bigger and more curved. This report presents a review of the Sierra Nevada Bighorn Sheep Recovery Program from 1999, when Sierra Nevada bighorn sheep were placed on the federal endangered species list, to June 30, 2011. Under the Endangered Species Act (ESA), management of Sierra Nevada Bighorn Sheep is guided by the Sierra Nevada Bighorn Recovery Plan (PDF). This is an undated photo of bighorn sheep in the Sierra Nevada mountains near Mt. The species began its decline back in the mid-1800s, and by 1995 the total population numbered few more than 100 individuals. For a detailed summary of recovery actions carried out and data collected from 2010-2011 see Appendices C and D. On this website we invite you to learn more about Sierra bighorn and conservation efforts on their behalf. The total population of bighorn sheep in the Sierra Nevada has made large gains in the past decade. The Sierra Nevada bighorn sheep restored to Yosemite’s Cathedral Range in March 2015 are now among the 600 bighorns who today, in John Muir’s words, are “leaping unscathed from crag to crag…and developing from generation to generation in perfect strength and beauty” in the High Sierra. The Sierra Nevada Bighorn Sheep Foundation is dedicated to securing the future of this remarkable animal through research, education, … The animals are on the brink of being eliminated from the Sierra. In the following pages you will find information about the work of the Sierra Nevada Bighorn Sheep Foundation, the scientific research we support, and how you can help. Sierra Nevada bighorn sheep declined during the late 1800s and disappeared from Yosemite and much of their historical range in the 1900s. Baxter, Calif. Each horn is in a “c” shape known as a “curl”. The most conspicuous feature of the Desert Bighorn sheep is the large brown horns that continue to grow. The Sierra Nevada bighorn sheep restored to Yosemite’s Cathedral Range in March 2015 are now among the 600 bighorns who today, in John Muir’s words, are “leaping unscathed from crag to crag…and developing from generation to generation in perfect strength and beauty” in the High Sierra.