Wildlife veterinarians, disease specialists, and wild sheep managers from across western North America gathered in Fort Collins, Colorado for 2.5 days last week to learn the latest wild sheep disease sampling techniques at a workshop sponsored by the Wild Sheep Foundation. Eighteen states, provinces, and territories were represented during this 2.5-day training session, held at Colorado Parks and Wildlife’s Foothills Wildlife Research Center.
Combining expertise from the Western Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies (WAFWA) Wildlife Health Committee and Wild Sheep Working Group, 35 professionals conducted and shared the newest diagnostic techniques and sampling protocols for investigating and monitoring wild sheep disease issues, including cutting-edge respiratory pneumonia and sinus tumor research. “Our hope in assembling this diverse set of wildlife health professionals and wild sheep managers was to learn from and teach each other state-of-the-art disease surveillance, sampling, and diagnostic techniques,” stated Dr. Peregrine Wolff, Wildlife Veterinarian for the Nevada Department of Wildlife, one of the principal organizers of this training session. Dr. Wolff added, “based on feedback received to date, this workshop was a resounding success, and likely marks another pivotal point in wild sheep management in North America.”
Clay Brewer, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department wildlife biologist and Chair of the WAFWA Wild Sheep Working Group noted, “our hope was to bring wildlife veterinarians and wild sheep managers together for this intense training, since so much recent attention has been focused on disease in wild sheep.” Brewer added, “we designed this training to enable the vets and the managers to enhance their skills, then train colleagues in their respective jurisdictions; the western fish and game agencies are incredibly grateful to the Wild Sheep Foundation for funding this timely workshop.”
The Wild Sheep Foundation has a long history of supporting wild sheep disease research and intervention. According to WSF Conservation Director Kevin Hurley, “WSF recognizes the role disease plays in conservation and management of wild sheep.” Hurley further noted “WSF was pleased to sponsor this training, and as we have done for decades, WSF will continue to work with jurisdictional wild sheep managers and wildlife health professionals for the betterment of wild sheep populations, range-wide.”
The Wild Sheep Foundation, formerly the Foundation for North American Wild Sheep (FNAWS,) was founded in 1977 by wild sheep conservationists and enthusiasts. WSF is dedicated to enhancing wild sheep populations, promoting professional wildlife management, educating the public and youth on sustainable use and the conservation benefits of hunting while promoting the interests of the hunter and all stakeholders. With a membership of more than 6,000 worldwide and a Chapter and Affiliate network in North America and Europe, WSF is the premier advocate for wild sheep, other mountain wildlife, their habitat, and their conservation. Since forming in 1977, the Wild Sheep Foundation and its chapters and affiliates have raised and expended more than $100 million on conservation, education and conservation advocacy programs in North America, Europe and Asia. These and other efforts have resulted in a three-fold increase in bighorn sheep populations in North America from their historic 1950-70s lows of ~25,000 to ~80,000 today. WSF, our Chapters and Affiliates and agencies partners are also working together to ensure thinhorn sheep thrive in their northern mountain realms for generations to enjoy.