The lofty rocks are the natural home of the celebrated Rocky Mountain
sheep, or bighorn. This animal is much larger than any domestic sheep.
It is powerful and wonderfully agile. When fleeing from enemies these
sheep, even the lambs, make remarkable descents down seemingly
impossible slopes. They do not land on their curved horns, as many
persons declare, but upon their four feet held closely together. Landing
on some nearby ledge, which breaks their fall, they immediately plunge
downward again to another ledge, and so on till they reach good footing
in the valley below. They also ascend slopes surprisingly steep. They
are more agile even than the celebrated chamois of the Swiss Alps, and
are larger, more powerful, and much handsomer. A flock of a dozen or
more mountain sheep making their way along the volcanic flow which
constitutes Specimen Mountain in Rocky Mountain National Park is an
unforgettable sight.
The beaver, whose dams and other structures, both old and new, found
along most streams at middle altitudes, are rarely seen except at night
or very early morning. Elk occur in numerous places, and deer which are
widely distributed are commonly seen. Coyotes and brown or black bear
are occasionally seen, but these, like the mountain lion, bobcat, and
small carnivorous animals, are not only rare, but so wary that they are
seldom seen by visitors.
Among smaller animals, the most familiar are the marmot or woodchuck,
Freemont or pine squirrel, three kinds of chipmunks, and the interesting
little cony or pika, which lives among the rocks on high mountains and
is more often heard than seen. In all, over 60 species of mammals live
in the park.
[Illustration: ELK HERD GRAZING IN PARK MEADOW]