YAKIMA, Wash.-The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife will be capturing bighorn sheep by air in the Yakima Canyon and Cleman Mountain from Feb. 15-18.
The capture is part of ongoing efforts to monitor the Umtanum/Selah Butte and Cleman Mountain herds.
“Bighorn sheep will be captured by a professional aerial team working with WDFW wildlife biologists to deploy net traps from low flying helicopters,” said Erin Wampole, WDFW district wildlife biologist.
According to the WDFW, captured bighorn will be released with GPS collars to learn more about how groups of sheep interact with each other and their habitat.
Data collected by GPS collars can help WDFW better understand how the sheep use their habitats and the potential for groups of bighorn to be exposed to or spread Mycoplasma ovipneumoniae or “Movi,” which causes pneumonia in bighorn sheep, according to the WDFW.
“This is a routine method for capturing sheep safely,” said Wampole. “The welfare of the animals and the people working with them is the agency’s number one priority during these operations.”
Residents in the area may notice a low-flying aircraft as the WDFW puts about 60 collars on sheep in the Umtanum/Selah Butte and Cleman Mountain herds.
