Bighorn Sheep Spotted on White Rock Canyon Rim Trail Near Overlook Park

A bighorn sheep stood on the edge of the White Rock Canyon Rim Trail mid‑afternoon, photographed near the Red Dot/Blue Dot trail network and Overlook Park, Los Alamos Reporter images show. The photos, credited to Gerald L. Merkey, were published under the headline "Bighorn Sheep Spotted On Canyon Rim Trail In White Rock Mid-Afternoon Today" and circulated on Facebook, drawing local attention to wildlife on the rim.

The Feb. 25, 2026 photos add to a string of local sightings documented in the past two years. A Shallow Thoughts blog post dated May 7, 2024 said a mountain biker saw three bighorn sheep on May 6, 2024, writing, "On a mountain bike ride on the White Rock Canyon Rim trail yesterday, we stopped at one of the overlooks to admire the view, and turned to see three bighorn sheep crossing the trail behind us." The blogger added that the animals "seemed pretty calm, and amazingly, didn't run when I reached for a camera" and judged them to be "females or youngsters, judging by the small horns."

Local reporting and photos have also captured family groups. A Los Alamos Daily Post item attributed to "Shankland of White Rock" said, "White Rock residents have been enjoying the small herd of bighorn sheep roaming the canyon recently, nibbling the grass, wildflowers, and sometimes special treats from domestic flower gardens." The Daily Post item continued that "They usually travel in a flock of about seven, ranging in age from small lambs to majestic adult males with impressive curled horns" and recounted "a mother nursing a young one that seemed rather large to be bothering her for a free breakfast," with a photo credited to Merula Franzgrote.

One local account offers a specific origin story for the animals in the rim area. The Shallow Thoughts post states, "Our local herd sources from a group of thirty-five adults and ten lambs caught in the mountains above Taos in 2014 and transported by helicopter and truck to Cochiti lands south of Los Alamos." That 2014 reintroduction claim appears in the blog post text; official confirmation from wildlife authorities is not included in the available sources.

Wildlife behavior and human disturbance are part of the conversation. National Park Service material from Canyonlands National Park, explicitly about the White Rim Road in Utah, observed during a 2020 pandemic closure that "Sheep were returning to areas they had abandoned for decades. Ewes were producing far more lambs that survived the summer, despite 2020 being a drought year." The NPS material also documented that vehicle disturbance can put rams to flight after a threshold of disturbance is reached, a point that underscores how trail use can affect bighorn presence.

Despite multiple eyewitness accounts and photographic evidence, current population estimates for bighorn sheep in the White Rock and Los Alamos area are not provided in the sourced material. The Feb. 25, 2026 photos by Gerald L. Merkey confirm another recent rim sighting; blog and Daily Post accounts show repeated encounters dating back at least to May 2024, but the sources do not include official agency counts or management guidance for residents and trail users. Until wildlife agencies or Cochiti Pueblo provide formal statements, the available records show an ongoing, locally visible presence of bighorn along the White Rock canyon rim.