Bighorn sheep found wandering within Watford City was put down by WCPD officers
Kristen Jones
Farmer Staff Writer
Residents of Watford City were surprised to see a bighorn sheep wandering the neighborhood around Jacobsen Park the evening of May 14. According to the North Dakota Department of Game and Fish, “Bighorn sheep are the rarest big game species in North Dakota, with a population of around 330 animals. The 2023 survey by the North Dakota Game and Fish Department found 364 bighorn sheep in the grasslands of western North Dakota, which is 5 percent more than 2022 and 16 percent more than the five-year average. The agency’s goal is for the population to reach 500 bighorn sheep.”
These animals usually reside in the Badlands, particularly in the North Unit of the Theodore Roosevelt National Park and in the terrain surrounding the Little Missouri River. It is extremely uncommon for them to roam to Watford City which is approximately 15 miles north of their preferred habitat.
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