Dizzy Pinwheel

 

During their 1804-1806 expedition, Lewis and Clark encountered an animal that reminded them in some ways of a goat and in others of an antelope. But pronghorns aren’t related to either of these animals. Their closest living relatives are giraffes. Pronghorns first appeared here 30,000 years ago, when other large herbivores included mastodons and giant sloths. They’ve survived this long in part because nothing can catch them. Pronghorns are the second fastest land mammal, clocked at 61 mph. The world’s fastest, African cheetahs, can reach speeds of up to 80 mph. But unlike pronghorns, cheetahs can’t maintain their top speed for more than thirty seconds. We met several wild pronghorns while riding ATVs near Bryce Canyon earlier this week. One of the babies – only a few days old – decided to chase us through a field, just for the fun of it. It was a joy to witness his obvious pleasure and boundless energy.