collapse

Advertisement


Author Topic: Infected bighorn sheep to be removed from southeast Washington  (Read 2704 times)

Offline pianoman9701

  • Mushroom Man
  • Business Sponsor
  • Trade Count: (+5)
  • Legend
  • *****
  • Join Date: Mar 2011
  • Posts: 44623
  • Location: Vancouver USA
  • WWC, NRA Life, WFW, NAGR, RMEF, WSB, NMLS #2014743
    • www.facebook.com/johnwallacemortgage
    • John Wallace Mortgage
Infected bighorn sheep to be removed from southeast Washington
« on: October 06, 2014, 05:53:12 PM »
Damn.

WDFW NEWS RELEASE
Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife
600 Capitol Way North, Olympia, WA 98501-1091
http://wdfw.wa.gov/

October 6, 2014

Contact: Rich Harris, 360-902-8134

Infected bighorn sheep to be removed from southeast Washington

OLYMPIA – State wildlife officials plan to capture and remove eight bighorn ewes in southeast Washington this week to curb the spread of a bacteria deadly to other wild sheep in the area.

A contractor for the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) and Idaho Department of Fish and Game will attempt to capture the animals near the confluence of the Grande Ronde and Snake rivers in southeast Asotin County using nets launched from a helicopter. The sheep will be transported in slings under the helicopter to a staging area near Heller Bar on the Snake River, and then loaded into a trailer.

The sheep will be taken to a captive facility at South Dakota State University where bighorn research is already under way to learn more about how to manage the bacterium Mycoplasma ovipneumoniae that causesfatal pneumonia in susceptible bighorns.

Any animals evading live capture will be humanely euthanized.

Rich Harris, wildlife manager for WDFW, said the bacteria has no adverse effects on humans and there are no appreciable risks of exposing other animals during the capture and transport operation because it has poor survival beyond the respiratory system of sheep and goats.

“We believe these ewes are not only a remnant population with little chance of recovery, but a threat to other bighorn herds throughout Hells Canyon,” Harris said.

The sheep are a subgroup of the Black Butte herd, said Harris. The Black Butte herd historically included as many as 215 animals. But it has suffered from pneumonia-related poor lamb survival on and off since an all-age outbreak in 1995 reduced the herd significantly. The ongoing pneumonia in lambs has prevented population recovery.

Over the past 20 years, bighorn sheep in the Hells Canyon region along both sides of the Snake River have suffered from pneumonia.

Typically adult bighorns surviving initial outbreaks of bacterial pneumonia have normal survival and reproduction, but few lambs survive to adulthood.

Researchers this summer discovered that in addition to 100 percent mortality in lambs, many of the relatively isolated ewes in the portion of the Black Butte herd range showed signs of pneumonia. Analyses conducted by the Washington State University diagnostic laboratory revealed that these ewes and their deceased lambs had contracted a new strain of the bacteria that appears to kill bighorns regardless of their prior exposure.

Harris said the inter-agency decision was made to remove the sheep now to keep them from spreading the bacteria to other animals during the mating season, which begins later this month.

Past outbreaks among bighorn sheep in Washington and other parts of the western United States have been linked to contact between wild sheep and domestic sheep or goats. These domestic animals carry Mycoplasma ovipneumoniae but are unaffected by the bacteria.

The outbreak of the Black Butte herd in 1995 is believed to have originated from contact with a domestic goat. It is unknown at this time if there has been additional contact between domestic goats or sheep and the Black Butte bighorns.
"Restricting the rights of law-abiding citizens based on the actions of criminals and madmen will have no positive effect on the future acts of criminals and madmen. It will only serve to reduce individual rights and the very security of our republic." - Pianoman https://linktr.ee/johnlwallace

Offline kirkl

  • Non-Hunting Topics
  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Frontiersman
  • *****
  • Join Date: Apr 2007
  • Posts: 2720
  • Location: Somewhere
  • USN Veteran- USS Nimitz CVN 68
Re: Infected bighorn sheep to be removed from southeast Washington
« Reply #1 on: October 06, 2014, 09:08:56 PM »
Theyve had how long to do this with the yakima herds? Years?

Offline ramslam

  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Hunter
  • ***
  • Join Date: Oct 2007
  • Posts: 233
Re: Infected bighorn sheep to be removed from southeast Washington
« Reply #2 on: October 08, 2014, 05:41:45 PM »
These situations are never ideal but it is definitely the right move.  This sub-herd has not done well for nearly 20 years and are potentially related to or the cause of smaller population crashes that have occurred every few years in the greater Hells Canyon area.  The eight ewes were net-gunned efficiently and safely this morning and should be somewhere in central Montana en route to South Dakota State University as I type.  The Washington Wild Sheep Foundation is covering the cost of transport as well as providing a volunteer driver.  Hopefully the folks at SDSU can do some great things with these ladies and bring clarity to this Mycoplasma problem. 

Offline Gringo31

  • Washington For Wildlife
  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Old Salt
  • ******
  • Join Date: May 2009
  • Posts: 5607
Re: Infected bighorn sheep to be removed from southeast Washington
« Reply #3 on: October 09, 2014, 09:44:09 AM »
Why couldn't these sheep be vaccinated with the hope of IGG passive transfer providing protection to their offspring?

Or am I off base here?  Thinking I must be because that would sound fairly simple....  :dunno:
We must reject the idea that every time a law's broken, society is guilty rather than the lawbreaker. It is time to restore the American precept that each individual is accountable for his actions.
-Ronald Reagan

Offline boneaddict

  • Site Sponsor
  • Administrator
  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Legend
  • *****
  • Join Date: Mar 2007
  • Posts: 50471
  • Location: Selah, Washington
Re: Infected bighorn sheep to be removed from southeast Washington
« Reply #4 on: October 09, 2014, 09:54:12 AM »
I'm hoping they sort this out Gringo.  As ramslam stated its a step in the right direction.  Just shooting them does nothing in solving the problem.

Offline boneaddict

  • Site Sponsor
  • Administrator
  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Legend
  • *****
  • Join Date: Mar 2007
  • Posts: 50471
  • Location: Selah, Washington
Re: Infected bighorn sheep to be removed from southeast Washington
« Reply #5 on: October 09, 2014, 10:03:45 AM »
Mycoplasma are different.  They don't have a cell wall which makes them immune (non susceptible) to most antibiotics.  THey(antibiotics) are mostly designed to attack the cell wall of the bacteria.    They have been trying to isolate and produce a vaccine but non of them work so far.   They have detected antibody formation so I am hoping they get a breakthrough.   This is not a virus so the approach will be different.  With some live subjects, I am hoping they can bust this thing. 

One of the biggest problems with Mycoplasmas in humans (different species) is it causes autoimmune issues.  I am not sure if this is the problem with the sheep or not. (possibly attacking their own cells (Cilia) That would be another very difficult thing to treat.

 


* Advertisement

* Recent Topics

Cold bore or fouled barrel. by hunter399
[Today at 12:36:22 PM]


Burrowing Animal by Loup Loup
[Today at 12:26:26 PM]


What's flatbed pickup life like? by CP
[Today at 11:54:44 AM]


Resetting dash warning lights by Sandberm
[Today at 10:15:50 AM]


Colorado Results by vandeman17
[Today at 09:50:06 AM]


Please Report Problems & Bugs Here by HntnFsh
[Today at 09:13:54 AM]


The time clock has started.....and go. by hunter399
[Today at 07:37:38 AM]


DIY Ucluelet trip by CP
[Today at 05:48:15 AM]


Oregon spring bear by time2hunt
[Yesterday at 08:03:28 PM]


Oregon Seed #'s by Doublelunger
[Yesterday at 07:35:15 PM]


WDFW falsely advertising preference points by hunter399
[Yesterday at 04:38:43 PM]


Black Eagle arrows deals by kodiak06
[Yesterday at 02:02:59 PM]


2025 Multiseason Deer General? by Goshawk
[Yesterday at 12:23:10 PM]


Last year putting in… by Dirtnap
[Yesterday at 11:48:14 AM]


Tag issues with "Get Outdoors" package by Encore 280
[Yesterday at 08:54:30 AM]


.300 Win Mag Rounds by W.Goomsba
[Yesterday at 08:29:32 AM]

SimplePortal 2.3.7 © 2008-2025, SimplePortal