In 2007, the Wild Sheep Working Group (now the Wild Sheep Initiative) of the Western Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies (WAFWA) published a unified set of recommendations for minimizing the risk of pathogen transmission from domestic sheep or goats to wild sheep; these recommendations were revised in 2012, and again in 2025. These recommendations were intended to guide state, provincial, and territorial wild sheep managers, federal or crown land management agencies, First Nation or tribal entities, wild sheep conservation organizations, private or public land domestic sheep or goat producers, and sheep or goat hobbyists to take actions that likely will reduce transmission of pathogens to wild sheep. Transmission of Mycoplasma ovipneumoniae from domestic sheep to bighorn sheep causes all age dieoffs that often are followed by low recruitment has been irrefutably demonstrated by numerous investigators, including Besser et al. (2010). Those results provide justification for preventing overlap and potential association of domestic sheep and goats with wild sheep populations that are federally or state listed, “sensitive species” status, native herds, herds used for translocation stock, herds in areas with no history of domestic livestock presence, and those with historical or indigenous cultural value. Wild sheep require greater precautionary and comprehensive management strategies that will help ensure separation between wild sheep and domestic sheep and goats. Practical solutions will be difficult, if not impossible, to achieve until the risk of pathogen transmission from domestic sheep and goats to wild sheep is understood, acknowledged, and incorporated into conservation strategies. All parties benefit when the risk of contact is considered and then managed specifically to minimize the potential for transmission of pathogens. Recommendations contained herein help achieve that objective.
Attached Files
| File | Action |
|---|---|
| WSI Recommendations - Domestic Sheep and Goat Management in Wild Sheep Habitat.pdf | Download |
- Version
- File Type pdf
- File Size 2 MB
- Publication Date June 13, 2025
- Download Count [227]
- View Count [1]
