Pronghorn are a prominent feature of the open prairies and ranges of the Western United States. The Pronghorn is not an Antelope. Its closest living relative is the Giraffe.
The Pronghorn travels at speeds between 55-60 MPH. Therefore, it is the fastest land animal in the western hemisphere. While the African Cheetah can reach a top speed of 65MPH, the Pronghorn can run at top speed for a far longer period.
Pronghorn have an extensive presence in Idaho. There is a large population of them on the rangeland of the Salmon River from its headwaters at Galena to the town of Stanley. A group of them frequently show up on and nearby our property.
Written observation about the Pronghorn in the U.S. first occurred with the Lewis & Clark Expedition (1804-1806). The Pronghorn neared extinction in the U.S. in the 1920’s. A conservation effort was made by a joint public and private effort in the 1930’s and 1940’s. The result is the Pronghorn thrives (for the most part) today with an estimated population of 1M+
There are not many animal migration corridors that remain in the U.S. However, there is one the involves the Pronghorn and Idaho. There is a 160 mile migration corridor the Pronghorn travel from the foothills of the Pioneer Mountains through the Craters of the Moon National Monument to the Continental divide.
