Once a wild sheep contracts the bacteria from domestic sheep they often die within days, but not before passing the bacteria on to other sheep in the population. This can have a cascading effect through adjacent populations which results in wide-scale die-offs. In 1999-2000 a die-off killed approximately 65% of bighorn sheep in the South Okanagan. It often takes a decade or more for sheep populations to recover; some populations never recover. There is currently no solution to prevent another die-off.

Presenting information last night and how to contact them for more details

Jesse Zeman, Resident Priority Program Manager, BC Wildlife Federation
jessezeman@gmail.com

Chris Barker, Director, Wild Sheep Society of BC
chrisbarker@shaw.ca

Domestic sheep no longer graze on crown lands, which historically was a major cause of bighorn sheep population die-offs. Currently most interactions happen on farms adjacent to bighorn sheep range in the fall when wild sheep rut. Parts of B.C. such as the Cariboo, East Kootenay, Okanagan, and Thompson are all areas of high risk. In Northern B.C. Thinhorn sheep are naïve to the pathogen, never having been exposed – the risk of widespread population die-offs is extreme.

The BC Wildlife Federation, the Wildlife Stewardship Council, Southern Okanagan Sportsmen’s Association, and the Wild Sheep Society of BC want educate the public on the risks to wild sheep. Subject matter experts shared the history, science and experiences in regards to wild-domestic sheep separation.