Earlier this month, volunteers with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife ventured out into the San Gabriel mountains for the annual bighorn sheep survey. For much of the day, bad weather made spotting one of California's most elusive big mammals nearly impossible. But after five hours of poor visibility, conditions improved, and volunteers were able to find several specimen on a nearby cliff face. 

The Society for the Conservation of Bighorn Sheep helped organize this year's survey, and according to their president, Steve Marschke, the annual count provides vital information to scientists that helps them understand and manage bighorn sheep populations.

When the CDFW began conducting surveys in 1979, they estimated about 740 bighorn sheep lived in the San Gabriel mountains. That number dropped below 200 in the late 1990s due to food scarcity, habitat loss and wildfires. But as of just a few years ago, the population rebounded to about 400 sheep.