Step 1 : Introduction to the question "3. One of Yellowstone's most recognisable animals is the bighorn sheep. You may have gathered from its name that this sheep has rather large horns. What are these horns primarily used for? "
...1. Hooking onto cliffs to prevent falls 2. Stabbing predators 3. Competing during mating season 4. Lifting and carrying heavy loads The thick, hard horns of the rams clash with terrific force in order to establish which one gets to mate with the ewe. The ewes also have horns but these smaller and less curved. These sheep (like many others) are brilliant climbers and so do not require any climbing assistance from their horns. Bighorns were originally a source of meat for the "sheepeaters" of the Shoshone tribe in Yellowstone. As with several other species in Yellowstone the bighorns were taken to near extinction due to over-hunting at the turn of the 20th century. There are now around 200 in Yellowstone National Park.
