CASPER, Wyo. \u2014 The Wyoming Game and Fish Department is asking people to report sightings of bighorn sheep on and around Casper Mountain, after a trio of the animals were spotted on the mountain over the prior weekend.<\/p>\n
Game and Fish PIO Janet Milek confirmed that the department received reports of three young rams over the weekend. While the sightings have generated local interest, Milek said the presence of bighorn sheep in the area is not a particularly rare occurrence. This marks the second time this summer the animals have been reported on the mountain, and similar sightings occur nearly every summer as individual sheep or small groups break off from nearby herds and wander through the region, she added.<\/p>\n
Still, the department is urging residents to call it if they see any bighorns in the area to assist in monitoring the animals\u2019 movements and origins. Beyond general research, the department tries to track the wild sheep as a preventative measure against disease. Contact between wild bighorn sheep and domestic sheep can lead to the transmission of bacteria, which can result in a significant number of deaths if the wild sheep return to their larger herds after exposure.<\/p>\n
Wildlife biologists recently attempted to immobilize the rams to outfit them with tracking collars, but the effort was unsuccessful. Milek said subduing the animals with dart guns can be a difficult process, since it requires the biologists to get within a very close range.<\/p>\n
The department is also interested in tracking their movements to determine where the sheep originate. Biologists suspect the rams may be traveling from herds in the Laramie Range or from the Seminoe-Ferris mountain herds near the Miracle Mile.<\/p>\n
Though the department isn\u2019t sure what caused the bighorn sheep seen on Casper Mountain to break off from their original herds, Milek said it is likely a a natural occurrence that typically happens during mating season, when dominant rams displace younger males from the population.<\/p>\n
These \u201cwandering\u201d rams leave their original groups to look for other areas or different herds where they might eventually become the dominant rams themselves, Milek said. She added that while similar behavior is seen in species like antelope and deer, it is distinct in bighorn sheep because their populations are not as large or closely packed in Wyoming, often leading individual rams or small groups to travel long distances.<\/p>\n
The department currently has no plans to relocate the rams and is currently focused on monitoring their movements.<\/p>\n