CHELAN, Wash. — Nearly 30 bighorn sheep were caught on Chelan Butte and sent to Utah to help herd populations in both states. After the animals were examined by state officials and volunteers, 20 of the bighorn sheep were sent to their new home after they were caught in late February.
Those bighorn sheep were sent to the Stansbury Mountains in Utah to join a herd of about 60 bighorn sheep. The relocation will help both states; there will be less of a threat of disease in Washington herds, and there will be increased genetic diversity and population numbers for Utah herds.
There are an estimated 1,690 bighorn sheep for a total of 17 herds in central and eastern Washington. They can be seen often from highways in the Yakima River Valley and Highway 12 near Naches.
The Chelan Butte herd numbers at about 200 animals, a number that Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife officials said they want to maintain.
A large corral was set up in the Chelan Butte Unit with bait in the middle to attract the sheep. After the sheep entered the corral, a door closed so the sheep couldn’t get out. WDFW staff along with Wenatchee Sportsman's Association and Washington Wild Sheep Foundation volunteers did physical exams and checked for a bacterium called Mycoplasma ovipneumoniae that can lead to pneumonia in the sheep
Bighorn sheep are especially susceptible to pneumonia and part of the reason for the recent capture was to check the health of the Chelan Butte herd.
Pneumonia has killed wild bighorn sheep in Washington for decades. Wild bighorns have not had enough time to adapt to the pathogen that causes the disease, since it is not native to North America. However, domestic bighorn sheep can be carriers of the bacteria and not show symptoms, which can lead to wild populations being exposed.
Officials also collared eight of the captured sheep, so biologists can learn more about their behavior. They will remain in Washington.