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Second bighorn born at Racine Zoo, follows first born last week
Milana Doné
RACINE — Another bighorn sheep has joined the family at the Racine Zoo.
The zoo welcomed two female Rocky Mountain Bighorn Sheep, Helga and Mantis, earlier this year. Mantis delivered a boy May 12, and Helga delivered a girl Wednesday, according to a news release from the zoo.
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Neither baby has been named. Patrons can vote on name options on the Racine Zoo Facebook page.
Options for Mantis’s boy are Sierra, Cosmo and Topaz. Voting is open until May 24 at noon, and the winning name will be announced May 25.
Options for Helga’s girl are Greta, Romayne and Ruby. Voting is open until May 31 at noon, and the winning name will be announced June 1.
Saturday, May 16, 2026
Three bighorn sheep are latest additions at the Racine Zoo
RACINE — Rocky Mountain Bighorn Sheep are the latest additions to the Racine Zoo's Mountain exhibit.
Helga and Mantis were born in spring 2023 at Hemker Park and Zoo in Freeport, Minnesota.
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Helga and Mantis are pictured with Mantis’s baby at the Racine Zoo. After being quarantined off-exhibit, the three are now enjoying the Mountain exhibit. Courtesy of Racine Zoo |
They arrived in Racine on Feb. 23 and were held in an off-exhibit quarantine, but are now at their new home in the exhibit, which underwent construction and renovations during the last year, according to a news release from the zoo.
According to the release, Bighorn sheep are the largest sheep native to
North America. They are named for the males’ large, spiraled horns, which can weigh up to 30 pounds.
The sheep are native to alpine grasslands of Western North America. In the mid-1800s, there were an estimated 200,000 sheep in the region, the release said. Their numbers declined as a result of hunting, habitat loss and the spread of disease from domesticated animals.
The numbers are now somewhat stabilized, and the International Union for Conservation of Nature lists them as “least concern.”
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