Dall’s Sheep
March 16th, 2007 by Stacy Jon Peterson
These white or cream colored sheep are often called Mountain Goats (a totally different creature) by tourists. They inhabit rocky hillsides and can be found in a variety of places near Anchorage.
The most common place to get potentially close shots is along the Turnagain Arm (Seward Highway) between Anchorage and Girdwood. In the summer there are several turnouts along this highway that provide great views of these animals, usually the ewes (which have shorter, straighter horns) and their kids (photo at right). The rams can be found, but are much less frequently seen.
At times the sheep are just on the other side of the road, but tend to move up the slope if large crowds gather. These crowds, however, can be a good clue that “wildlife” viewing is occurring. Watch for cameras and binoculars pointed up slope!
Always excercise extreme caution when driving the Seward
Highway. Be prepared to avoid people who are paying more attention to their surroundings (like, uh, sheep) than the road.
The Alaska Zoo in Anchorage has a decent exhibit with Dall’s Sheep that can be fun to photograph (photo at left), although zoo policy prohibits commercial use of photographs obtained within the zoo without special permission.