Alberta Order of the Bighorn Awards
The Government of Alberta established the Order of the Bighorn Awards
in 1982 to recognize outstanding contributions made to fish and wildlife conservation
by private individuals, organizations and corporations.
Members of the Order of the Bighorn have enriched the lives of all Albertans by
helping conserve Alberta's world-renowned fish and wildlife resources. The last
recipients were inducted in March of 2008.
The Order of the Bighorn is bestowed every two years at an awards function in Edmonton.
Rocky Mountain Bighorn Sheep were the inspiration behind the name of the awards.
The bighorn ram was chosen as its symbol, a majestic representative of Alberta’s
rich wildlife heritage. In 1989, the Rocky Mountain Bighorn Sheep was also named
Alberta’s official mammal.
There are approximately 35,000 bighorns in North America, ranging from northern
Alberta to New Mexico. Alberta has the largest population, with over 10,000 animals.
Posted: September 21, 2009