iN PHOTOS: Kamloops wildlife photographer captures amazing bighorn sheep images | iNFOnews | Thompson-Okanagan's News Source
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iN PHOTOS: Kamloops wildlife photographer captures amazing bighorn sheep images

This photo entitled "Bachelor Party" went viral on social media.
Image Credit: SUBMITTED/ Dennis Kitto

A Kamloops landscape and wildlife photographer has been taking photos of bighorn sheep for over 12 years and recently his photo of seven rams, entitled "Bachelor Party" was shared widely among outdoor social media groups in the province. 

Dennis Kitto loves getting up early and climbing mountains where he observes and photographs the sheep in Kamloops and the surrounding area.

“I love the horns on the rams, they get larger and thicker as they age,” he said. “The ewes look like small deer with horns. The sheep stay in groups for protection and get along well with each other, except during mating season when the males will fight for dominancy.” 

Kitto photographs the sheep all year round in all weather conditions.

He keeps an eye on the sheep to make sure their populations are healthy and safe, and is ready to report anything out of the ordinary to local biologists. 

“I don’t like to tell people what spots I go to photograph sheep because I don’t want them to get crowded or stressed,” he said. “Part of what I do is about protecting them.”

READ MORE: South Okanagan property purchased for bighorn sheep, other at-risk species

Over the years, Kitto has shared his wildlife and landscape photos on social media.

“Typically I get positive comments,” he said. “I love to find different places and show people what not everyone gets to see. It is the best feeling in the world climbing a mountain and watching the sunrise. I grew up going to the woods with my dad and he passed recently, so it is way of connecting with him.” 

Bighorn sheep rams in Kamloops.
Bighorn sheep rams in Kamloops.
Image Credit: SUBMITTED/ Dennis Kitto

Something unique about bighorn sheep is their ability to adapt to diverse environmental conditions, from the snowy Canadian Rockies to deserts in Death Valley and northern Mexico, according to the provincial government.

They are named for the ram’s massive, spiralling horns that continue to grow and form rings each year that indicate their age.

The ewes have smaller, slightly curved horns. They are two-thirds the size of the rams, who are about three feet high and weigh between 90 and 135 kilograms.

The sheep have concave hooves with rough foot pads that help them on rocky terrain.

READ MOREiN VIDEO: Herd of bighorn sheep caught on camera in Penticton

Rocky Mountain Bighorn Sheep are found in grasslands along the western flanks of the southern Rock Mountains, California Bighorns more commonly found in open southerly and westerly facing grassland slopes, forest and canyons east of the Cascade mountains and west of the Selkirk and Rocky Mountains, the province said. 

Bighorn sheep rams and a ewe in Kamloops.
Bighorn sheep rams and a ewe in Kamloops.
Image Credit: SUBMITTED/ Dennis Kitto

Three bighorn sheep rams near Kamloops.
Three bighorn sheep rams near Kamloops.
Image Credit: SUBMITTED/ Dennis Kitto

A bighorn sheep ram.
A bighorn sheep ram.
Image Credit: SUBMITTED/ Dennis Kitto

Two bighorn sheep rams in the Kamloops area.
Two bighorn sheep rams in the Kamloops area.
Image Credit: SUBMITTED/ Dennis Kitto

A bighorn sheep in winter in Kamloops.
A bighorn sheep in winter in Kamloops.
Image Credit: SUBMITTED/ Dennis Kitto

To contact a reporter for this story, email Shannon Ainslie or call 250-819-6089 or email the editor. You can also submit photos, videos or news tips to the newsroom and be entered to win a monthly prize draw.

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