May 2026
- Bighorn Institute
- May 29
- 4 min read
Bob Howard
It is with great sadness that we inform you that our long-time board member and friend, Bob Howard, passed away early this month. In recent years as his health declined, he became President Emeritus, but Bob had been on the board since the early 80s. He was instrumental in getting our captive herd pens built, providing much-needed funds at a critical time. He loved animals and believed in our work whole-heartedly. His unwavering support of the Institute helped us achieve incredible accomplishments for Peninsular bighorn sheep conservation. We are fortunate to have had his involvement for so many years. Bob was a close friend for forty years and will be greatly missed.
Lambing Season Going Well
This year, we are happy to report that lambing season has been going well and we’re still documenting new lambs in our study area, which includes three different herds. We found 7 of these new lambs in the central Santa Rosa Mountains south of La Quinta in a remote area. Most of the new lambs are a few months old, but we did see a one-month old lamb in the San Jacinto Mountains herd near Palm Springs. So far, the lambs are looking good, but it’s getting hotter and summer is the true test to see how they’ll fare for survival. We’ll keep tracking the herds and hope for a few more lambs; lambing season extends through June for Peninsular bighorn. Stay tuned for future updates.
Sheep in the Streets
For the past several years, bighorn sheep in the San Jacinto Mountains near Palm Springs have begun using the urban area frequently, especially during summer when rams are chasing ewes in the breeding season. Vegetation is abundant and water is plentiful in this range, especially compared to our other two study herds, but the sheep have been attracted down to O’Donnell Golf Course taking advantage of the lush grass. While the ewes and lambs stayed up high in the mountains the first part of the year with the great green-up we had, that time is clearly over as we’ve had a couple of recent incidents of sheep in the streets of Palm Springs. This behavior compromises their fitness and is a danger to themselves and to motorists. We’ve finally made progress to recover this herd, but their use of the urban fringe is compromising this forward progress. If you see sheep in the streets of Palm Springs, please call Bighorn Institute (760-346-7334) or Palm Springs Animal Control (760-323-8151). The wildlife agencies are aware of the issue and are working on a solution (fencing), but it likely won’t be anytime soon.
Injured Ewe Doing Well
A ewe that resides in the northern Santa Rosa Mountains near Palm Desert sustained an apparent broken front, left leg a couple of years ago. At that time, we received many reports from hikers who observed her and were concerned that she should be brought in for treatment. We explained that bighorn sheep are incredibly resilient and her best chance at continuing to live in the wild was to leave her alone. While this wasn’t received well by all, it proved true since we have seen this time and again. Bighorn sheep get injured, but most eventually heal up and overcome their injuries to live long lives. This ewe is no exception and has since given birth to a lamb the last two years, one of which she’s raising now. She’s a little slower than the others and has a distinctive limp, but traverses the mountain tops like the others without issue. We look forward to continuing to watch her many years into the future.
Waterhole Count Volunteers Wanted
We’re gearing up for our annual waterhole count in early July and are looking for a few local volunteers to brave the desert heat by sitting on waterholes for a couple of days and helping us count sheep. If you’d like more information, please call 760-346-7334 or email bi@bighorninstitute.org.
Are You a Member?
Did you know that Bighorn Institute is a privately-funded nonprofit and we receive no state or federal funding? We have released over 125 captive-reared bighorn into the wild over the past 40 years, kept 2 local bighorn herds from disappearing and continue to monitor the local herds daily, all with private dollars. We also provide vital data to the wildlife agencies to help with the management of the endangered Peninsular bighorn sheep. We rely on the generosity of our members; membership donations are completely tax-deductible and start at $25/year. If you enjoy this newsletter and learning about the sheep, we hope you’ll become a member! Thank you for your support!
Upcoming Fundraisers, Save the Dates:
September 16, 2026 – Wine Down Wednesday from 5-7pm at Shadow Mountain Golf Club
November 15-16, 2026 – Annual Party and Golf Classic at Stone Eagle Golf Club
January 9, 2027 – Private Dinner for 20 at Thunderbird Country Club Wine Cellar