iN PHOTOS: Deer and bighorn sheep shenanigans in Kamloops, Okanagan

Deer and bighorn sheep wander the hillsides and neighbourhoods around Kamloops and the Okanagan, and this winter some were caught on cameras in comical predicaments. The BC Interior is home to mule deer and white-tailed deer that are prevalent in the valley bottoms in the winter where the snow is shallower as they gather in groups to feed on anything herbaceous.  Deer are highly adaptable animals that have learned how to survive and thrive in urban areas, according to WildSafeBC. https://wildsafebc.com/species/deer/ By this time of year, the deer have shed their antlers and the rut is over, but that doesn’t mean they are not still getting up to entertaining antics. Some deer in this photo collection are busy nabbing bird feed in Keremeos, while one was caught having an afternoon nap in Kamloops. A fun fact about deer is they communicate with each other using pheromones produced by glands between their toes, on the outside of their lower legs and on the inside of their hocks to indicate alarm and leave scent trails. The beloved California bighorn sheep are always popular photography subjects in the Okanagan and Kamloops areas, and the ungulates are known for their ability to survive in very diverse ecosystems, according to the BC government https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/environment/plants-animals-ecosystems/wildlife/wildlife-conservation/wild-sheep-and-mountain-goat/bighorn-sheep#:~:text=Rocky%20Mountain%20%EE%80%80Bighorn%20Sheep%EE%80%81%20habitat%20is . READ MORE: iN PHOTOS: Sightings of wild cats and bears in Kamloops, Okanagan https://infotel.ca/newsitem/in-photos-sightings-of-wild-cats-and-bears-in-kamloops-okanagan/it107729 A bighorn ram's horns continue to grow throughout life but growth is slower in the winter causing rings to form and the number of rings indicates the ram’s age. In this collection, one bighorn sheep has magpies on its back while another is caught mid air, just as it is clearing a fence.  If you have entertaining photographs of ungulates to share, send them to news@infonews.ca  mailto:news@infonews.ca To contact a reporter for this story, email Shannon Ainslie mailto:sainslie@infonews.ca  or call 250-819-6089 or email the editor mailto:news@infonews.ca . You can also submit photos, videos or news tips to the newsroom mailto:tips@infonews.ca  and be entered to win a monthly prize draw. We welcome your comments and opinions on our stories but play nice. We won't censor or delete comments unless they contain off-topic statements or links, unnecessary vulgarity, false facts, spam or obviously fake profiles. If you have any concerns about what you see in comments, email the editor in the link above. SUBSCRIBE to our awesome newsletter here https://infotel.ca/newsletter .