Starting today until Wednesday next week, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) will be using helicopters to capture and monitor bighorn sheep populations in Yakima, Kittitas, Okanogan, and Ferry counties. This operation aims to track the health and movements of the wild sheep.
According to the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) release, the sheep will be sampled, fitted with GPS collars, and released. The data collected will help understand the sheep’s disease status and interactions between herds. Erin Wampole, a WDFW district wildlife biologist, explained, "These captures, and the resulting data, are vital to WDFW's ongoing effort to conserve bighorn sheep, particularly with the potential for disease among these populations."
One key focus is managing the spread of the pathogen Mycoplasma ovipneumoniae (Movi), which can be transmitted from domestic livestock to wild sheep. Once infected, 5 to 15 percent of adult sheep can become chronic carriers, leading to die-offs and poor lamb survival rates. GPS collars will help understand how the sheep use their habitat and how the disease spreads.
The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) will monitor several herds, including those from Umtanum/Selah Butte, Cleman, Vulcan Mountain, Mount Hull, and Sinlahekin. Local residents may see low-flying helicopters during the operation. Wampole added, "The data will also help the Department know where we need to focus future efforts to prevent transmission or eradicate pneumonia from these populations."
