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Show 1 1 Biologists from the Division of Wildlife Resources have completed a desert bighorn transplant in the DWR's Southeastern Region. The bighorns will replace animals once present in certain areas of the region. DWR transplant Bighorn According to Division of Wildlife Resources biologists, 19 desert bighorn sheep were transplanted in southern Utah in late December. The animal s have been transplanted to areas which once had bighorns but have lost them in recent years. Jim Bates, regional game manager with the DWR's Southeastern Region , reports that the bighorns were trapped in Cataract Canyon, southeast of Moab. Twelve bighorns have been moved to the San Rafael Swell and seven have been released near Westwater on the Colorado River. Bates says desert bighorns have not been found in these areas for many years. He speculates that overhunting by early uranium hunters;-disease hunters;-disease and competition with domestic sheep may have contributed to their demise. But he points out that these problems have been reduced and DWR biologists are confident that these transplants will be successful. |