Rescuing Texas bighorns

Wildlife biologists are stepping in to rescue the bighorn sheep that are disappearing in Texas. Bighorn sheep are native to the western mountains and were once revered by Native Americans.

According to a story on CBS News, the sheep had become a rarity in the state where they are commonly seen. Due to disease, about 50% of the state’s bighorn sheep population was decimated in the last five years, and wildlife biologists are on a mission to rescue the species. The disease spread to the sheep from other animals, which people brought to the region.

Last fall, wildlife biologists captured dozens of bighorn sheep — some pregnant — from the only disease-free Texas herd left. The sheep were first airlifted to veterinarians who ensured they were healthy. It was amazing to watch the sheep being airlifted with blind folds over their eyes to keep them calm.

Then they were relocated more than 200 miles to the Franklin Mountains in West Texas, an isolated mountain range free of disease-carrying species. When the biologists returned to the herd this month to assess whether any sheep had survived and if the herd had grown, they were elated to see a thriving herd.