For more than three months now, both residents and visitors have had a much easier way of seeing whether or not Boulder City’s unofficial mascots are up for a visit.
In September, the city installed what’s affectionately called the Ram Cam. The mounted camera on the restrooms at Hemenway Park shows a wide shot of a portion of the park. Now, while the bighorn sheep can often be found outside of camera view, it gives would-be park visitors an idea if they’re there.
“We believe the Ram Cam has proven to be a resounding success, providing individuals worldwide with the opportunity to access the live feed and observe the bighorn sheep grazing naturally at Hemenway Park,” Boulder City Parks and Recreation Manager Julie Calloway said, noting that to date they have had 64,000 views.
“We believe the Ram Cam has increased park attendance and facilitated better awareness for visitors, helping them identify optimal times to observe the sheep. However, we would like to emphasize that the bighorn sheep are wild animals and may not adhere to a specific schedule.”
Calloway added that there have been no negative encounters but that the city urges visitors to maintain a safe distance while observing the bighorn sheep and to be aware that no dogs are permitted in the main grass area at the park.
Lauren MacLeod, a wildlife education coordinator for the Nevada Department of Wildlife, told the Boulder City Review in September that the introduction of the Ram Cam offers a great opportunity to not only broaden the scope of wildlife observation in Hemenway Park but also to enhance wildlife management efforts.
“Occasionally, park visitors report sightings of sheep that appear to be injured or unwell,” she said. “With the Ram Cam in place, we now have additional sets of eyes on the sheep, enabling our biologists to stay informed about the overall health of the Hemenway herd.”
In addition to the city’s website, the Boulder City Chamber of Commerce offers a link to the Ram Cam on its site as well. CEO Jill Rowland-Lagan said from everything they’ve heard, the camera has been a success.
“We hear a ton of positive comments and have several outdoor operators that have linked it to their websites and receive excellent traffic to that page due to interest from locals and tourists from the states and international guests,” she said. “Wildlife that are still wild and viewable like in a zoo have a huge draw for people to want to sit and watch and be close to a true animal experience.”
Rowland-Lagan said the camera has become a tool to allow the chamber to tell those calling to find out if the “sheep are out” that they can look for themselves and find out any time they want.
“People get so excited about that,” she said, noting that one family showed up on camera with a “Hi Grandma” sign. “To this point, we get calls now when the link is down, and they can’t immediately check the park for sheep.”
She added, “Based on calls and visitors in the Welcome Center, we know many plan their wildlife viewing around a meal or other shopping activities. They will ask for directions to the park and then recommendations for a place to eat or stroll. We have added the sheep viewing location to our restaurant map due to the number of requests for both.”