Moon rising over bighorn sheep herd, Badlands National Park, 2014.

Bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis) originally crossed into North America over the Bering Land Bridge from Siberia. The population peaked in the millions and bighorn sheep entered into the mythology of Native Americans. Unfortunately, by 1900 the population had crashed to just several thousand due to diseases spread through the introduction of European livestock as well as overhunting by those who immigrated to North America. Conservation efforts are continuing to help restore the North American population.