OCR Text |
Show IIS DISEASE IS KILLING WILD - . SHEEP A disease totally unknown to the forest officers and stockmen of Custer Cus-ter county, Idaho, has made its appearance ap-pearance among the wild mountain sheep in that vicinity and has caused much alarm over tho prospect that the wild sheep may be exterminated and the malady may spread to the domestic sheep and become epidemic throughout the entire region. In an effort to determine the nature of the disease and possible means of combating com-bating it, Dr. Murray, inspector in charge of tho bureau of the animal industry, with headquarters at Salt Lake, has been asked for the Ogden forest office to give this matter his attention. Early in August Dr. Dill and Supervisor Huddle of the Lemhi national forest made a preliminary trip to the infested area to secure Information on which to base a more extensive Investigation during the month of September. The only information in-formation which could be gathered at this time was from men who had found sheop in a diseased condition and killed them. These men were not able, however, to diagnose the symptoms or make any very accurate statements as to the actual physical condition of tho animals, except to agree that there was an apparent loss of hair around the hoad and ears and a general weakened condition which finally resulted in death. So far. the infection seems to be confined to the main ridge of the Salmon river mountains, beginning approximately at the head of the East Fork of Loon creek and extending south to the head of Challls creek. |