South Okanagan bighorn sheep facing new threat

[Fisher-Dude]

South Okanagan bighorn sheep facing new threat

By Steve Arstad

http://infotel.ca/news/medialibrary/image/hd-mediaitemid39441-6597.jpg
A bighorn sheep in the Olalla herd of the Similkameen Valley with Psoroptic mange.
Image Credit: WIldlife Health Fact Sheet photo


February 07, 2017 - 9:00 PM



PENTICTON - Bighorn sheep in the South Okanagan are facing a new threat on the heels of a pneumonia outbreak in 1999 that decimated the bighorn sheep herd around Vaseux Lake.

Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations Communications Officer Dave Townsend says ministry technicians discovered Psoroptes obis, or sheep mange, in Similkameen Valley bighorn sheep populations in 2011.

It’s the first time the disease has been seen in Canada since being eradicated from domestic sheep herds in the 1920s.

Townsend says the ministry has been collaring and monitoring bighorn sheep across the infected area, tracking 60 sheep out of the estimated population of three to four hundred in the area so far.

The disease causes hair to fall out, resulting in scaly crusts that may spread to other parts of the body. The animal gets itchy and damages its skin by scratching, resulting in secondary bacterial infections.

Eventually, the sheep lose weight and appetite, resulting in anemia and emaciation.

The reaction to mites in a herd is widely varying, from few signs, such as a few mites in the ears, to massive fatal infections.

The disease can spread to domestic sheep.

The affected herds are in areas west of the east side of the Okanagan Valley. Efforts are being made over the winter to remove bighorn sheep from the McIntyre Bluff area, deemed to be the highest risk area for transmission of the disease to the east side populations.

In some places the valley floor is only 400 metres wide. Ministry officials are concerned infected sheep could potentially come into contact with healthy sheep from the east side of the valley.

By transferring the sheep to areas of the Similkameen where populations have been depressed, the ministry hopes to create a buffer zone around of about 1.6 kilometres between the herds, and also assist in the rebuilding of herds in that area that have been affected by the disease.


http://infotel.ca/newsitem/south-okanagan-bighorn-sheep-facing-new-threat/it39441

[Spy]

Oh man this aint good :-(

[horshur]

are you saying they are moving potentially affected sheep?? probably just too short an article to be clear.

[Fisher-Dude]

are you saying they are moving potentially affected sheep?? probably just too short an article to be clear.

Affected western sheep to be moved into other affected western sheep, away from unaffected eastern sheep. There's no biological risk doing that.

The west is pretty much doomed at this point.

Do we just kill them all on the west side and start over? Might come to that, sadly.

[horshur]

that make more sense ...western side of the lake north of the similkimeen or has the ashnola herd already contracted it? I know when I lived in Olalla there were no sheep there then 25 years ago least to my knowledge anyway.

[boxhitch]

Mites infesting bighorn sheep Deborah Pfeiffer (http://www.castanet.net/reporter/Deborah-Pfeiffer) - Jan 28, 2015 / 9:00 am | Story: 131543
http://www.castanet.net/content/2015/1/screen_shot_2015-01-27_at_10.34.45_am_p3032750.jpg Photo: Contributed


Authorities are keeping an eye on a mite infestation in the Ashnola Similkameen bighorn sheep population.
"A few years before 2011, we noticed bighorn sheep with funny ears, but we couldn't get any kind of confirmation," said Helen Schwantje, a wildlife veterinarian with the Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations. "Then, in February 2011, a member of the public took a photo of a young ram in poor condition, just outside of Olalla. It was a disturbing picture, a horrendous picture."
The animal was euthanized, and testing confirmed it was the psoroptes mite.
The mites can cause severe disease in which animals develop heavy crust in and around their ears and other locations and lose their hair.
"We hadn't seen these mites in Canada before," said Schwantje. "So I requested a regarded biologist to do an aerial survey."
It was determined about 54 to 55 per cent of the sheep were impacted.
In 2013, a ministry report on the Ashnola Siilkameen bighorn stated the disease could have implications on the herd's health. It says psoroptes has contributed to declines in at least one bighorn population in New Mexico, and several American populations live with the mite.
Schwantje said while authorities continue to monitor the situation, there is not a lot they can do.
"We can't catch all the sheep and treat them, and it's extremely difficult to treat," she said. "But we remain concerned and are taking steps."
Concerns about helicopters disturbing the sheep have also been addressed.
B.C. Parks and Fish and Wildlife staff met with Penticton-based HNZ Topflight in the fall to discuss concerns over the health of sheep in the Snowy Protected Area. All parties agreed to explore changes to flight training to minimizing impacts to the population.
The province has received landing site locations from HNZ, and staff have overlaid them with important sheep habitat and provided options on time of use in certain areas. A follow-up meeting is being planned for February or March.
"If we see wildlife, we veer off and don't go there, and we keep a record," said HNZ general manager Don Venturi.
The ministry is beginning a research project this winter that will include GPS collaring and monitoring of bighorn sheep in the psoroptes-affected area. The project will include spring aerial surveys as well as ground monitoring.
Residents are urged to report sightings of suspected cases to the Ministry of Forests.

[boxhitch]

When is the Vaseaux count this year?

[Spy]

Is there not a cure for this ??? I seem to remember a sheep farmer/vet I knew injecting his domestic sheep against this,he used the same stuff to cure my GSP from mange? Maybe a darting program could work for the wild sheep!
I will email him this article and find out what he thinks he is a veterinarian in SA.

[one-shot-wonder]

When is the Vaseaux count this year?

Tomorrow I believe

[358mag]

When is the Vaseaux count this year?
Tomorrow meet at north end Vaseaux Lake campsite before 9am , should be a great day in the hills counting sheep.

[Stone Sheep Steve]

Road trip anyone?

[Stone Sheep Steve]

Is there not a cure for this ??? I seem to remember a sheep farmer/vet I knew injecting his domestic sheep against this,he used the same stuff to cure my GSP from mange? Maybe a darting program could work for the wild sheep!
I will email him this article and find out what he thinks he is a veterinarian in SA.

Theres a trial taking place in Penticton right now involving treatment and monitoring.

[boxhitch]

Cheery Pit at 6:30?

[boxhitch]

Is there not a cure for this ???yes, but is inoculation of a large group of wild critters a reasonable project, considering the sprawl and the disease transfer?
not really

[Stone Sheep Steve]

Cheery Pit at 6:30?

Count me in

[RiverOtter]

yes, but is inoculation of a large group of wild critters a reasonable project, considering the sprawl and the disease transfer?
not really
Just thinking out loud here, but is it possible there might be a winter feed station/corral trap set up?Might not treat them all, but if a good percentage could be innoculated, then it would certainly offset the imminent die off. Is it possible to treat for the pneumonia they get from domestic sheep at the same time?

[RiverOtter]

Not saying it'd be cheap, but then again, helicopters and relocation efforts aren't exactly free either.

[boxhitch]

Just thinking out loud here, but is it possible there might be a winter feed station/corral trap set up?Might not treat them all, but if a good percentage could be innoculated, ........again, the trouble is with the large area the sheep populate. Winters cut down some of the area utilized, but the pop. is wide spread in many small herds, with just enough interaction to spread problems.


Is it possible to treat for the pneumonia they get from domestic sheep at the same time? Different problem. What is passed on from domestics is a pathogen that compromises the immune system in some sheep, and pneumonia is usually the first ailment. Many wild sheep are carriers with never showing symptoms. And now they believe there are 'super-carriers' that can pass on the condition through generations with no sign of disease outbreak, until it does.
Best practice may be to inoculate all domestics regardless of background, but producers are not entirely on side, even with free treatments.
BMP for now is seperation
Some states have performed culls to protect unaffected herds from remnants of diseased herds


helicopters and relocation efforts aren't exactly free eitherPooling of funds, Gov't (joe taxpayer) combined with sponsors (joe taxpayer) and handled by volunteers (joe taxpayer)
Joes have trouble picking priorities.

[boxhitch]

Count me inI got a pass on V Day, see you there

whoo else wants a ride?

[RiverOtter]

Fair enough, just thought a high calorie food source might bunch 'em up enough to be somewhat effective. Course, it would inevitably congregate predators as well, which would pose another problem.

[boxhitch]

Not dismissing the idea, it just needs rounding out
Trials of various tests have been going on for years

Washington 2011

Srikumaran, a microbiologist born in Sri Lanka, finds himself caught in the middle. He said the oral version might be the best method to distribute vaccine to the wild sheep.

Each winter, wild bighorn sheep run out of food at high elevations where snow overtakes their habitat. Traversing to lower lands, they get food from wildlife biologists who set out long metal troughs of pellets. Srikumaran observed this in the mountains near Yakima.

“I have seen about a hundred animals coming single file to eat the food and go,” he said. “This happens all the time.”
Srikumaran does not expect every wild bighorn to find its way to a trough to ingest the vaccine, but he thinks it could be the best alternative to protect the population.
An active vaccine might be better, as well. Replicating itself inside the sheep, the active vaccine would require wildlife biologists to administer less frequent doses, rendering it a less expensive option.
“Live vaccines last at least one year,” he said, but some can last two or three times longer. “If it works, then we’ll try to incorporate it into the pellets. That will take an additional several months or maybe more than a year to figure out.”

Still working on it.

[Lionhill]

This is my back yard - literally. I can walk to Mac Bluff from my house.

I see herds of sheep quite often when hiking around Hawethorn Mt. and Mt. Koegan.

What should I do if I see an infected sheep?

Too bad we don't have a conservation org that could send out messages to it's membership about this.


LH

[Stone Sheep Steve]

This is my back yard - literally. I can walk to Mac Bluff from my house.

I see herds of sheep quite often when hiking around Hawethorn Mt. and Mt. Koegan.

What should I do if I see an infected sheep?

Too bad we don't have a conservation org that could send out messages to it's membership about this.


LH

The McIntyre Bluff herd is infected and is being dealt with right now.
They don't want them to infect the healthy sheep on the east side of the valley.

[boxhitch]

Call the R.A.P.P. line for anything wildlife or fisheries directed. Dispatch will determine who is best to pass the file to. This is by far the best way to get info to the right desk in a timely manner.

[Stone Sheep Steve]

Call the R.A.P.P. line for anything wildlife or fisheries directed. Dispatch will determine who is best to pass the file to. This is by far the best way to get info to the right desk in a timely manner.

Or use the new the new conservation app. It's uses GPS coordinates

[wiggy]

I wonder if they have used ivermectin on the sheep
ive spent quite a bit of time in the orient
mange is pretty common there
they use ivermectin.
Here our vets don't recommend it. I've cured a lot of
animals with it. It's cheap and effective

[2chodi]

Too bad we don't have a conservation org that could send out messages to it's membership about this.


LH

Well, actually this story was reported in the September 9, 2015 BCWF member update and there was at least one town hall meeting on the topic sponsored by several conservation organizations.

[Lionhill]

Well, actually this story was reported in the September 9, 2015 BCWF member update and there was at least one town hall meeting on the topic sponsored by several conservation organizations.

FD post says this was a "new" problem, but BCWF sent out a newsletter 18 months ago? Perhaps the message was lost between the lottery for quads and the AGM plans?

And who receives the report when the "app" has a report of an animal with this condition? IS the RAPP line a recording or an actual person?

I went to the gov site and this is what is says the RAPP line is for:



Illegal waste disposal (household or business waste, e.g. dumped on Crown Land)
Unlawful open burning (e.g. dense smoke); excludes backyard burning
The discharge of chemicals or sewage to lakes or rivers
Damage to fish or wildlife habitat
Exceeding the daily bag or catch limit
Use of illegal hunting or fishing gear
Fishing or hunting out of season or in closed areas
Unauthorized collection or sale of fish and wildlife or their parts

LH