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Show t -J Bighorn Sheep Transplanted ' ; Twelve desert bighorn sheep - I ' nine ewes and three rams - began a I ; new life in January 1982 on the ! rugged Kaiparowits Plateau not far i from the Crossing of the Fathers . ' i where Father Escalante had noted in N his journal in 1776 that tracks of the desert bighorn were as plentiful Nas those of domestic herds. The twelve scrambled quickly v and sure-footedly up the cliffs from A ; their release point at Rock Creek ' Bay on Lake Powell. They would make their home where their ; ancestors had roamed once in great ! numbers. They had been captured at : Canyonlands National Park, transported by truck and then by t boat up Lake Powell to the Kaiparowits Plateau. ; Though the desert bighorn was 5 once common throughout the area, ' its suceptibility to disease, its V inability to compete successfully I with other animals for food, and of course its popularity as a hunting tf I ' prize all contributed to its near extinction in its once-native habitat. The uranium boom of the 50's and 60's contributed to further diminishing its already much smaller numbers until the last stronghold for the magnificent animals lay in the area between Blanding and Moab near the Colorado River. Man's activities had contributed both directly and indirectly to the reduced numbers of desert bighorn sheep populations. Now man was doing something to reverse the trend. Prior to the beginning of transplanting sheep in 1975, the Division of Wildlife Resources had only custodial management of the uncommonly agile and graceful animals according to Jim Guymon, regional game biologist for the southern region of the division 'cvuicd in Cedar City. This meant that there was no active management of the desert bighorn and it wasn't until the mid- sixties that the Division began conducting censuses and supervising hunting Later, special funding led to the transplant plan which began functioning in 1976 when sheep were moved from the upper ends ol Lake Powell into the Escalante River canyons. From 1976 through 1978, during three seasons, the Division moved 23 sheep, including about five rams, putting radio collars on 10 of them. At the last aerial census 10 sheep were counted, only two with collars, leading DWR personnel to conclude that the transplants had laken hold in the area and multiplied. The presence of many tracks made them well-satisfied that their plan was working since they only expect to count about 25 percent from the air. Each year the Division has continued with their transplant program which is funded solely through funds derived from the sale V . ' , 1 . . i 't' . ' i X ' ' v'. f y !; , " ' ; . :' ' - ' is'' - 1 '-i ' ' w ' '' i ' ' - t ' . ' ' ' s: ... ,, . , - ; - v - ", ; ' - " ; ; '.r ' - " '. ' . Bighorn Sheep released by Division of Wildlife Kesources Workers. of a trophy ram permit to the highest bidder and donations from organizations such as the Foundation for North American Wild Sheep which last year contributed S5000. The trophy ram permit went for 22,000. The sheep arc released two to three in a group where they intermingle with other groups. This year only four or five animals were equipped with radio collars, now that the DWR is assured of the success of the program. These will serve to adequately monitor the sheep as planes or helicopters fly over and pick up the signal. Ewes which mature at one-and-one-half to two-and-onc-half years usually bear one lamb. Although twins arc not uncommon, the survival rate is poor. The sheep generally breed in November and bear their young in March or April, a five-month gestation period. The female may bear young for eight or nine years, game biologists believe, but desert bighorn arc considered to be old by the time they are 1 1 or 1 2 years old. In captivity they have lived to be 17 or 18 years old. DWR estimates that there arc well over 1000 desert bighorns in Utah. Past estimates by DWR reveal that it costs approximately $1000 per animal to transplant the sheep, but hopes arc that using the tangle nets will reduce the time needed for helicopter rental which runs about $400 per hour. DWR is constantly trying to improve its transplant techniques. The desert bighorn is a close cousin to the Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep. While the more northern sheep have coats often dark grayish-brown, their desert counterparts have coats of pale buff Uiat can blend into the cliffs of their habitat. All the sheep are creamy white on the lower parts of their bodies and have patches of the same colors on their rumps. Male bighorns stand from 3 feet CoLlh,8h allhc Moulder to 3 12 feel high and old rams can weigh well over 200 pounds. The ewes arc smaller and more delicate. Desert bighom sheep do not have wool as domestic sheep do. Instead they have a coat of hair similar lo that of a deer. The incredible agility of the ; desert bighorn begins almost at birth and lambs only two or three weeks old can go wherever their mothers go. Bighorns jump and climb easily in the most dangerous places and seem lo have no fear. They can plunge at great speed down steep slopes and elude wolves or coyotes by their ability. They feed on grasses and other small plants and cat the tender twigs of bushes. Soft clastic pads on the bighorn's feet absorb the shock of its bouncing gait and also provide an effective grip on the rocks. |