Lamb survival to be closely monitored for several years
Another overview story about the bighorn sheep die-offs around the west. Estimates of the death toll have reached 1000 bighorns.
Severe pneumonia outbreak kills bighorn sheep.
American Veterinary Medical Association
Mountain goats may compete with the struggling native bighorn sheep
Grand Teton National Park officials are worried that mountain goats may increase in the Park and compete with bighorn sheep. The goats were introduced into the Snake River Range by the Idaho Department of Fish and Game and they have spread to the Teton Range. […]
Continue Reading →Same pathogen found in bighorn and domestic sheep after contact was observed
Here are two stories outlining what happened this winter with the outbreaks of disease in bighorn sheep. It appears that there are likely two different causes for the outbreaks. In the East Fork Bitterroot it appears that bighorn contracted mycoplasma from a small […]
Continue Reading →A report, dated March 16, 2010, by the Western Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies, Wild Sheep Working Group, summarizes the recent outbreaks of pneumonia in bighorn sheep that have occurred in Montana, Nevada, Washington, Utah, Wyoming, and South Dakota. Domestic sheep and goats are also known to be in close proximity to, […]
Continue Reading →Yes, according to the IDFG.
Over on a popular, unnamed anti-wolf website there has been discussion of using radio receivers to track and hunt wolves and the frequencies of the radio collars on them so I asked the IDFG about this. I sent them the exchanges which have taken place there and, specifically, I asked […]
Continue Reading →400 dead this winter in an “unprecedented” series of events
Populations of bighorn sheep are struggling with pneumonia throughout the west. Washington, Nevada, Montana, and most recently Utah are having outbreaks of pneumonia which have resulted in the deaths of 400 or more bighorn sheep.
Statements like the following are often made about the outbreaks.
“While […]
Continue Reading →Winter recreation may be one of the impacts to the remaining bighorn.
This population of bighorn sheep has dwindled to very low numbers. Inbreeding, habitat loss due to development, and domestic sheep disease have restricted these sheep to very high elevation and sites of low productivity so human entry into these areas during winter may […]
Continue Reading →Four recent outbreaks of disease in the west
There are four disease outbreaks among bighorn sheep herds in the news this winter, two in Montana, one in Nevada, and one in Washington State. This is the time of year when bighorn sheep are concentrated so diseases are more easily transmitted.
There has been no mention […]
Continue Reading →Second outbreak in Montana this year.
This is near an area where domestic sheep have been grazed to control weeds during recent years. The New York Times wrote a story about it here.
FWP kills seven bighorn sheep after pneumonia confirmed in Bonner herd. By Rob Chaney of the Missoulian
1-16-10 5 […]
Continue Reading →Source of disease is unclear.
The bighorn sheep in Central Washington’s Yakima River Canyon are dying of pneumonia. It appears likely that ODFW officials will try to stop the epidemic by killing the infected animals so that they won’t infect healthy bighorns.
Two Stories
Big decision on bighorns
Scientists may have to […]
