Texas Longhorns Arrive At Pipe Springs National Monument
Two Texas Longhorns have been added to the Pipe Springs National Monument family. The longhorns, named Wai (pronounced like why) and Pai (pronounced like pie) were recently added to a public facing corral at the monument and are available to view at a safe distance when the monument is open. Wai is the Southern Utah Paiute word for two, while Wai is the word for three. Texas Longhorns were first introduced to the Arizona Strip area in the mid-1860's. According to a press release, Texas Longhorns were introduced on the strip by Dr. James M. Whitmore, a member of the church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Whitmore was looking for a place to establish a ranch found the area near the present day monument location. The grasslands in the area provided feed for his cattle. Pipe Springs National Monument was established on May 31st, 1923 by President Warren G. Harding as a “memorial to western pioneer life.” The animal acquisition was made possible by a grant from the Zion National Park Forever Project.