Last weekend a friend and invited me along on an adventure. She is getting a Master’s degree in Journalism at the University of Arizona and had an assignment to do a multimedia project. She asked me if I would be interested in helping her film video. She would do the set-up, and then I would babysit the camera while she took still photos. I figured this was something I could handle.

Saying yes resulted in being up before dawn on Saturday, driving to a wildlife refuge about an hour outside Yuma, and being witness to the capture and processing of a small herd of bighorn sheep, which were to be subsequently released in Tucson’s Santa Catalina range. There had been a herd in the mountains once, but it had died out in the mid 1990s. No one knew why—too close to humans, too tasty to mountain lions, some unknown pathogen. So the reintroduction of the sheep is somewhat of an experiment, and not without controversy, to see if the sheep can survive, and not only survive, but thrive.

The sheep probably thought they were being abducted by aliens, complete with anal probes (okay, thermometers, but still). They were captured one by one by nets shot from helicopters, bundled into the choppers by muggers (yes, this is an actual job description), and blind-folded to reduce stimulation, before being given health checks, radio collars, and identifying ear tags by the veterinary staff. They were then loaded into cages on a flatbed truck, up to four sheep per box. I was impressed by how swiftly and carefully the people worked with the sheep.

I, of course, peered into their cages. There is something magical-mystical-mysterious about locking eyes with a wild creature. I felt very privileged.

Then on Monday, I was present as the sheep were released at Catalina State Park. One by one, they leaped out of their cages and ran for the hills.

Godspeed!

P.S. ETA—You can now see my friend's video here. I even show up briefly around the three and a half minute mark.