First desert bighorn sheep lambs born in Franklin Mountains

By Priscilla Totiyapungprasert, El Paso Matters Jose Etchart spotted them from a helicopter on a mild October morning – a group of 30 or so desert bighorn sheep scaling the Franklin Mountains in El Paso, just north of Smugglers Pass. The sheep’s characteristic white rump, split by a dark brown tail, caught his eye. Small lambs less than a year old climbed with the flock up the rocky terrain, distinguished by their short horns and lack of GPS collars. They are the first of their kind to be born in El Paso in a very long time, Etchart said with pride.

Etchart works as a senior wildlife biologist for the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department overseeing the species’ conservation efforts. The lamb sightings are encouraging news for the future of desert bighorn sheep in Texas. Desert bighorn shee