News Release

Bighorn Sheep / Aoudad Survey to Begin April 11

Big Bend National Park is home to a small population of Desert Bighorn Sheep (left) and hundreds of Aoudad (right).

News Release Date: April 8, 2022

Contact: Tom VandenBerg, 432-477-1107

Contact: Thomas Athens, 432-477-1145

BIG BEND NATIONAL PARK, TEXAS – During the week of April 11^th, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) will be surveying bighorn sheep and aoudad (Barbary sheep) in Big Bend National Park. TPWD biologists will be using a helicopter in the remote Mesa de Anguila area of the park to search for both species. There will be no lethal control of aoudad and all areas of the National Park will remain open.

Barbary sheep are native to the dry mountains of Northern Africa, but now thrive within the rugged landscape of West Texas. Over the last 30 years, Barbary sheep have established a foothold within the park and have increased significantly in recent years. Hundreds now roam the area, but the park is home to only a small population of native desert bighorn sheep.

Barbary sheep occupy the same habitats as native bighorn and negatively impact the natural ecology of the park. Large groups of aoudad can prevent desert bighorn from accessing water, threaten biodiversity, and impair park visitors’ ability to experience natural conditions and scenery. Although there will be no lethal control in this spring survey, the information gained from this project will help direct control efforts in the future.

National Park managers will again collaborate with TPWD to survey in October of 2022. That survey will focus on the eastern areas of the park, including Persimmon Gap, the Deadhorse Mountains, and Boquillas Canyon. There will be lethal control of Aoudad and temporary park closures in the areas of the survey at that time.

This effort is part of Big Bend's long-term, integrated approach to control exotic animals and protect park resources. Management of aoudad is in keeping with the Big Bend Exotic Animal Management Plan and Environmental Assessment, finalized in June, 2018. 

Desert Bighorn Sheep in Big Bend

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