Broad regional uplift raised the land about 5 million years ago and initiated the erosion that created the Badlands. Water did the rest of the work, carving this breathtaking national park.
I was so excited to see the western wildlife on this trip and when we found the Badlands' prairie dog town I fell in love...but kept enough distance to not be in danger of hidden rattlesnakes. Signs were posted warning that these cute critters also carry the plague. Rattlesnakes and plague, great way to keep the tourists from getting too close for nature's comfort!
As delightful as these rodents were, the next morning we saw Bighorn Sheep. They were excited too, but not due to our presence.
Baaaack off! That was one ewe who was tired of the young ram's attention! Ewes and rams both have the distinctive curved horns though the males grow larger in size, sometimes up to 40 pounds. Rams live in bachelor groups and females lives in herds with other females and their young rams. One of the most important features of the bighorn sheep is the unique structure of its hooves. Rather than being hard like those of a horse or cow, the sheep have rubber-like hooves that allow excellent mobility on steep rock faces. Some of the sheep are radio collared so biologists can track the population as part of their re-introduction program.
Shortly afterward Wayne spotted these two while looking down at one of the Overlooks. It took me a minute to pick them out, their coats blended well with their surroundings. These wild sheep are nothing like the sheep I raised on our hobby farm!
While at the Badlands we also hiked the Cliff Shelf Trail where we startled a deer, checked out the Fossil Exhibit boardwalk trail and also spent some time in the visitor center. Fossil research from the area contributed signigicantly to the science of vertebrate paleontology in North America. They have camping in the park but no hookups, so we didn't stay there, but the campsites looked wonderful and someday when we have solar panels I'd love to give it a try.
What an amazing place the badlands are and such a nature walk. You got to love the Prairie dog's though you can keep the plague as it did not do our country a lot of good back in the middle ages. Not sure I'd want to come face to face with the sheep that I thought were goats at first, they look huge.
ReplyDeleteI think the sheep are fairly non-agressive, though I wouldn't want to get too close to the rams during mating season, those horns can get ridiculously huge!
DeleteLooks like you saw alot on this trip. Love the baaaad rams. :)
ReplyDeleteDid you know that we have some mini-badlands in Ontario? Ours are a bit redder though.
http://torontodp.blogspot.com/2012/09/big-and-bad.html
Wayne lived in Toronto for a short time, I'll have to ask him if he's been there. Somewhere else to add to our list, when we retire we'll traverse Canada by RV too!
DeleteThanks for taking us on your trip! The geological layers in your first pics remind me of the Painted Desert in Arizona. Rather stay away from horns:)
ReplyDeleteThank you for following my blog. Those Badlands look very impressive. I have once visited other Badlands in the neighbourhood of Drumheller in Canada, where some Dinosauriers are found.
ReplyDeleteHope you enjoy my blog, greetings, Marianne
I didn't know Bighorns had rubber treads! Well done, sheep!
ReplyDeleteI posted a similar tableau, but it wasn't as exotic with Labrador retrievers instead of wild sheep.