Herding sheep is generally a responsibility reserved for farmers and sheepdogs. Occasionally, a piglet might fill in. But a ram? During an annual “sheep parade,” sheepherding duties were indeed relegated to a Ram, but of the four-wheeled species.
Rotational grazing is standard practice with livestock. Especially with large herds, moving them from one area to another ensures continuous access to good foraging and prevents overgrazing. In southwest Utah, local herds are “migrated” via an unconventional route: the highway interchange.
This year, a Ram 2500 led the charge through the South Cedar Interchange. It’s unlikely baa-ram-ewe was uttered, though. Might be difficult to hear over the heavy grunts of that Cummins diesel. Instead, the sheep were lured with hay scattered from the truck bed.
Cedar City, which is located along I-15 and not too far from Zion National Park, holds this yearly “sheep parade” during the fall months. An estimated 1,000 sheep, give or take, are relocated from their summer pastures on Cedar Mountain to warmer winter homes.
The practice has been going on “for decades,” the Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT) told FOX 13 News. The annual spectacle has now become a family event and is a highlight of the Cedar Livestock & Heritage Festival. Seeing hundreds of sheep navigate an interchange underpass is visually overwhelming and causes one heck of a traffic delay. So, why travel through the interchange to begin with?
According to Utah Humanities, a mile-long tunnel was built in the 1990s to manage the sheep movement even as urban development grew in the area. Unfortunately, the dark space and overhead traffic noise spooked the sheep. The tunnel was used for only one season before ranchers reverted to the above-ground sheep trail.
The UDOT has been conducting an environmental assessment of the roadway. Eventually, based on the results of the impact study, it plans to install a 12-foot-wide shared-use path for pedestrians, cyclists, and, yup, sheep. There’d be plenty of room for a Ram, too.
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