Massive Alberta bighorn might be biggest ever

An Alberta bighorn sheep that lived near Hinton has lived up to its name: itmight turn out to be biggest bighorn ever.

A wildlife officer found the horns of the 10-year-old ram two weeks ago while on a routine check in the area of a reclaimed coal mine.

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"It's unique to find one this big for sure," said Alberta Fish and Wildlife officerNeil Brad. "We've had some very large rams found in that location. It shows that the big horn sheep genetics in this area are very good."

The ram likely died from this year's severe winter as sheepnormally livearound 14 years, he said.

The horns, weighing about 18 kilograms, must be left to dry fora couple of months before they can be officially measured, he said.

A preliminary measurementputs the horns almost two centimetres overthe score of the current world-record holder a set belonging to abighorn shot by a hunter in Alberta in 2000.

The horns, now provincial property, will eventually be on display in a museum or the lobby of a government building.

Bighorn sheep, Alberta's official animal, are plentiful near theRocky Mountains and frequently can be foundfeeding near Highway 16 heading into Jasper National Park.

During mating season,the male rams rear up on their hind legs and charge at each other, smashing their horns together in a competition overbreeding rights.

Hinton is about300kilometres west of Edmonton.