A pair of bighorn sheep running together.
Image Credit: SUBMITTED/Wild Sheep Society of BC/Darryn Epp
February 12, 2024 - 7:00 PM
The Southern Interior's bighorn sheep are constantly under threat and a society trying to protect the iconic animals with gather in Penticton later this month to brain storm ways to help protect them.
Wild Sheep Society of BC CEO Kyle Stelter says wild sheep face numerous threats, especially in the Okanagan.
“If you like driving down Westside Road and seeing sheep by the road don’t take it for granted, if we don’t look after them they will die off,” Stelter said. "When sheep are healthy and doing well they tend to be a keystone species that help other species do well."
There are a number of diseases impacting the herds along with development projects which cause habitat loss including mycoplasma ovipneumoniae.
Stelter says the fatal disease is often passed from domestic sheep to wild sheep, and can wipe out entire herds. Healthy adult sheep can survive the disease but their young die off, so the herd is unable to successfully reproduce. There's no vaccine.
The other disease wreaking havoc in the Okanagan’s bighorn sheep population is psoroptes, a mite that causes sheep mange.
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Stelter says wild sheep do best when they're separated from domestic sheep.
"There are a number of treatment processes we’ve tried and one that is the most effective is test and remove," he says. "The idea is if you can remove the infected animals from the ecosystem it allows the ones who are still thriving to reproduce.”
Development projects which destroy sheep habitat are common in BC’s Interior.
“Habitat loss can be a whole bunch of different things, like building houses in sheep habitat, the Okanagan is one perfect example,” he said.
“In the Kootenay region we’ve seen people trying to put solar farms up in prime sheep habitat. If you know solar farms there are solar panels everywhere so we’re advocating for those not to be built in sheep habitat.”
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Next week’s annual general meeting in Penticton is a chance for some of the society’s 1,500 members and others who want to protect wild sheep to get together, listen to experts and work on ways to protect these animals.
The society uses member donations and fundraising efforts to help their conservation and policy lobbying efforts.
Stelter says the sheep population continues to survive in large part because of consistent efforts to keep them safe.
“We have to be proactive and intentional about looking after wild sheep,” he said. “Do what you can to support wild sheep.”
The Wild Sheep Society of BC AGM will be held at the Penticton Trade Centre from Feb. 22 to 24.
For more information about the society go here.
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