Utah Valley — where the wild things are

PROVO — Utah Valley is a great place to start a family — just ask the osprey hawks that migrate here to hatch their young.

Of course, wildlife enjoyed the Utah County area long before it was settled. And why not?

The region has variety of habitats — mountains, deserts and bodies of water, not to mention ideal temperatures — that make it a wonderful place for a summer or winter home, said Reed Stone, president of the Utah County Birders.

Whether you live along the foothills or the lakes and streams — and whether you know it or not, or ever stop long enough to notice — there are always some "wild" neighbors just around the corner.

Take a look:

Bighorn sheep —

The Wasatch mountain range was once filled with these animals, but overhunting and disease caused the Utah County herds to disappear. A few years ago, bighorns were reintroduced to the area through a joint effort involving several organizations and the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources.

In 2001, nearly 100 bighorn sheep from Alberta, Canada, and Montana were relocated to American Fork Canyon, Pleasant Grove's Grove Creek and Rock Canyon in Provo.

These animals are visible without the use of binoculars, said Scott Root, conservation outreach manager for DWR. Root saw a herd of 15 bighorns on the mountain side while he was at Rock Canyon Park in Provo just the other day.

"We'll eventually work with the city to put up some signs that there are bighorn sheep there," Root said.

During the summer months, these wild neighbors often wander onto residents' lawns. Root said water is scarce in the canyon areas, so the bighorn sheep are drawn to yards that have water sources — especially waterfalls, ponds and lush vegetation.

"They have been a problem on some people's lawns," Root said. "We have tried to trap a small population of them to move them down to Mount Nebo. We put the trap up, and they never came down."

DWR has added some man-made water sources in Rock Canyon to keep the bighorn sheep in the canyons, but they are still drawn to the water resources in the valley.

"Most people are patient and don't mind the bighorn sheep when they come down," Root said. "Most people feel like it is an honor to have them by their homes. It's a good conversation piece."