Respiratory Disease Detected in Black Mountains Bighorn Sheep

By Justin Stakes

Laboratory results consistent with pneumonia strain found in neighboring states

Phoenix, AZ -(AmmoLand.com)- The Arizona Game and Fish Department has confirmed a disease event affecting a portion of the bighorn sheep population in the Black Mountains of northwest Arizona.

After receiving reports in early December from hunters who observed bighorn sheep in Game Management Unit 15D exhibiting coughing or nasal discharge, the department conducted a spot survey of the northern portion of the unit on Dec. 9. Tissue samples from three ewes, each animal culled from a different herd, showed characteristics consistent with pneumonia.

The survey then was extended into the central and southern portions of the unit. A few bighorn sheep near Mount Nutt and Battleship were observed coughing, but none of the animals was culled. The survey did not reveal any carcasses. All bighorn sheep observed in the survey appeared in good body condition. Some animals in Unit 15C also have shown signs of pneumonia.

While bighorn sheep can thrive in some of the harshest environments, they are highly susceptible to serious – and sometimes lethal – infectious diseases, such as pneumonia, sinusitis, and bluetongue. Bighorn sheep …Read the Rest

Source:: AmmoLand