Iconic desert creature found shot near field sparks search for poacher, officials say

The discovery of a dead desert bighorn sheep near an Arizona field has set off a search for the poacher, wildlife officials said.

The male animal with curved horns was found shot and left to waste sometime around Jan. 13 near Gila Bend, about 70 miles southwest of Phoenix, the Arizona Game & Fish Department said in a Feb. 9 news release.

Its carcass was found near South Enterprise Road, which is close to an agriculture field, officials said.

“There is no justifiable reason to poach an animal during a closed season and leave it to waste. Poachers are not hunters or sportsmen; they are criminals who are stealing from the residents of Arizona,” wildlife manager Travis Clarkson said in the release.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/iconic-desert-creature-found-shot-223729603.html