Two curious bighorn sheep were spotted wandering on a road in B.C.'s East Kootenay Rockies.
The Rocky Mountain District tweeted a video of the inquisitive pair walking down a road in Elko on Feb. 19, along with a caption about what the animals might be pondering.
"Buford, do you think [they're] aliens?" Na just humans wanting our photo for their Twitter page on WildlifeWednesday," reads the playful caption.
“Buford, do you think their aliens? “ Na just humans wanting our photo for their twitter page on #WildlifeWednesday #Elko pic.twitter.com/0zKyDJIthz
— Rocky Mtn District (@TranBCRockyMtn) February 19, 2020
Bighorn sheep are remarkably adaptive creatures, with populations of the bovidae found in the snow-capped Canadian Rockies all the way down to the scorching deserts in California's Death Valley. They are also highly social, and tend to move in herd of five to 20. However, they are sometimes found in herds of up to 100.
Recognizable by the massive curled horns, the mountain-dwellers are famous for their displays of dominance. Not only will the males rear up on their back legs and crash their huge horns into each other, but they also so at incredibly high speeds. What's more, many of these brutal battles last for hours. Luckily the rams have thick, bony skulls that prevent significant injury.
Bighorn sheep are currently a "blue-listed" species in B.C. - a species "of concern" that is particularly sensitive to human activities or natural events. Cougars and coyotes are the main natural predators of the sheep in B.C.
