Endangered bighorn sheep spotted in downtown Palm Springs. Here’s what to do if they return

Things you may spot in downtown Palm Springs: Tourists and local residents strolling along Palm Canyon Drive, a towering Marilyn Monroe striking a pose and … bighorn sheep engaging in some retail therapy? Yes, you read that right.

A video that has been making rounds on social media all week shows two bewildered-looking bighorn sheep crossing Palm Canyon Drive, between East Andreas Road and Museum Way, and taking in the shops and slowed cars around them.

A voice in the video is heard saying, “They’re just like, ‘Umm, trying to go to brunch,'” providing cheeky commentary as to why the two animals may have galloped their way down the mountain and into the downtown area (Psst, Lulu’s is just a few blocks south). Bighorn sheep typically eat grasses, shrubs and forbs, not pancakes, eggs Benedict and mimosas.

Another voice says the person capturing the video can get closer to the sheep because they are tame, but the Bighorn Institute advises against that.

The video was captured and shared on Facebook by Jeff Witthuhn of the boutique Peepas, according to a post, who did not immediately respond to The Desert Sun’s request for comment.

Peninsular bighorn sheep call the Coachella Valley home. They live in dry, rocky, low-elevation desert slopes, canyons and washes from the San Jacinto and Santa Rosa mountains near Palm Springs south into Baja California, Mexico.

The sheep have previously been spotted grazing on the grass at the O’Donnell Golf Club, located in downtown Palm Springs, which is located right next to rocky, mountainous terrain and the Cactus to Clouds trailhead.

Peninsular bighorn sheep are endangered species

The Peninsular bighorn sheep are an endangered species in the United States, and have been since March 18, 1998.

The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service determined that Peninsular bighorn sheep are in danger of extinction throughout a significant portion of their range due to disease, predation, habitat loss and human disturbance, according to the Bighorn Institute.

In the 1970s, Peninsular bighorn sheep were estimated to number nearly 1,200 in the U.S. and 4,500-7,800 in Baja California, according to the Bighorn Institute. Helicopter surveys from 2022 indicated that approximately 800 live in the U.S., while surveys of Mexico estimate the Baja California population at 2,000-2,500. The institute states that because there are more animals in Mexico than in the U.S., and the Mexican government has established a conservation program for managing Peninsular bighorn sheep, only the U.S. population is included in the endangered listing.

In 2019, at least 20 desert bighorn sheep died in a San Gorgonio mountain population due to pneumonia, most likely from domestic sheep or goats. Wildlife specialists were also examining other possible causes, including pathogens from feral cattle to the west and disease from a different bighorn group to the south.

How humans have impacted desert bighorn sheep

Human disturbance has been a factor in the species’ decline.

The Bighorn Institute states that some of the dangers they are exposed to at the urban-mountain area include automobile collisions, poisonous plants, high predator densities and parasites.

Between 1991 and 1996 in the northern Santa Rosa Mountains, the Bighorn Institute documented five sheep struck and killed by cars, five killed by ingesting poisonous ornamental plants and one strangled in a wire fence. During the six-year study, urbanization accounted for 34% of adult bighorn mortalities, making it the leading known cause of death for bighorn in this area.

Urbanization in their habitat also indirectly affects bighorn sheep by altering their habitat use, diet and behavior. Changes can also make the species more prone to parasites and disease, and potentially more vulnerable to predators.

What to do if you see bighorn sheep

Peninsular bighorn sheep are an endangered species and it is against the law to handle or harass them without proper permits, even if it is for the benefit of the sheep, the Bighorn Institute states.

In case of a bighorn sheep emergency, call the Bighorn Institute at 760-346-7334. If you are unable to reach the institute, call Erin Schaeffer with California Fish and Wildlife at 760-628-4022.

If you spot bighorn sheep on trails or elsewhere in public, the Bighorn Institute has a few tips:

• Do not take dogs into bighorn sheep habitats because they are seen as dangerous predators and can cause them to flee from important feeding and watering sites

• Minimize disturbance to bighorn sheep. The institute states alarming bighorn sheep can stress them, causing their heart rate and energy expenditure to increase

• Avoid trail use in bighorn lambing areas during lambing season (January 1 through June 30)

• Don’t short-cut trails and create new impacts

• Avoid camping or lingering next to riparian areas, springs or other water sources vital to desert wildlife, especially during drought conditions

• Leave no trace on trails and respect all voluntary and mandatory trail closures

For more information, visit www.bighorninstitute.org.

Ema Sasic covers entertainment and health in the Coachella Valley. Reach her at ema.sasic@desertsun.com or on Twitter @ema_sasic.

This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Endangered bighorn sheep make visit to downtown Palm Springs

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