I promise to only be a downer today...I just found out yesterday that one of the few bighorn sheep rams in Custer State Park had been poached recently. Needless to say, I was and am just sick over this. The article didn't appear in the local paper until December 16th, but the ram was killed, and its head and nape taken, on November 27th. I can assure you that whoever did this, simply stepped out of his vehicle and walked over and shot (arrow) the unsuspecting ram...living in the park, the wildlife are so used to humans that they pretty much ignore people that are several yards away. (Here's the article link: http://www.rapidcityjournal.com/news/article_4162190a-e9c9-11de-b4d8-001cc4c002e0.html )
You will see that the park used to haved 200 bighorns until '04 - '05 when pnemonia wiped out all but about 75...and there are only 8-9 rams left. I didn't realize this...
So I am going through my ram photos, pretty much torturing myself....first the stray moose, now this...
This isn't the ram poached...horns are totally different shape...
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This isn't the ram either...I wonder how on earth they ID'd the body w/o the horns...
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Sometimes it pays to have imperfections...photo taken in May.
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This photo was also taken in May...not the deceased...looking scrawny in early spring.
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This one looks close but it has a cut in the tip of the horn and the poached ram's doesn't.
Oh, Jann, I'm sorry to hear that. Hunters, poachers, trophy hunters...I have no use for any of them. I had just read that one of the Sand Hill cranes from the first hatches was killed. There is a hefty reward for the killer and I hope they find him.
ReplyDeleteMarnie
Such meaningless slaughter, I'm a great believer in people getting their ''come uppance'' the sooner the better for this killer.
ReplyDeleteCan the rams horns not be marked, so as to deter trophy hunters, or even partly removed. They had to do this to the rhino's and elephants in africa.
Oh Jann, I'm so sorry...This breaks my heart reading this...How can you kill something so beautiful....Just wanted to wish you and your family a Merry Christmas... I hope they find the poachers before they think they can do this again.
ReplyDeleteJann - the killing of these animals which should be protected from slaughter in a park is a travesty. You wonder about a person's conscience - what do they tell themselves to justify their deed? Very sad.
ReplyDeleteSorry for that sad news Jann. Earlier this week when I saw the doe and her 2 young ones that visited here all summer, I was so happy harm did not come to them during the hunting season.
ReplyDeletehow absolutely awful! why did I mindlessly think that poaching only occurred on other continents. thank you for setting me straight.
ReplyDeleteKeep up your critter care articles. Most of us share your sadness. Be our champion!
ReplyDeleteI think the card featured on Marge's Florida web site would look great with a moose and ram too.
Dick