Colorado Parks and Wildlife nets Bighorn Sheep to create new herd
In one dramatic moment near Colorado Springs, a square 70-foot-wide net dropped, and about 20 bighorn sheep were captured, much to their surprise. Colorado Parks and Wildlife workers hustled in and grabbed one, wrestling it to the ground. Soon, another wave of workers was on them, helping to subdue the animals.
"Oh my goodness, It looked like it was a Bighorn Sheep rodeo, and the Bighorns were winning for a while," said Colorado Parks and Wildlife Southeast Region spokesman Bill Vogrin. "I think it was about 40 seconds of chaos before our team was able to get in and subdue the sheep and calm them, and then the cavalry came in."
A video captured CPW's efforts, which are part of its plan to create a new herd by separating and moving part of an existing one.
Officials said it's for the health of the Bighorn population. There are 80 herds of Colorado's official animal and a population of about 7,000. But that number has declined in recent years. CPW cited increasing pressure from the growing human population and the demands of outdoor recreation.
"We want to get as many out and many herds as we can out on the landscape to ensure that they do survive for future generations," said Vogrin.
Bighorn Sheep were nearly wiped out in the early part of the last century in Colorado due to unregulated market hunting, in which the animals are killed and sold for food. Other factors included diseases brought in by domestic animals and loss of habitat.
But in the 1940s the predecessor agency to CPW began creating new herds.
"That was how we were able to start herds like the herd above Georgetown along I-70, the herd in Glenwood Canyon," said Vogrin.
The herd they removed animals from on Thursday is one of those. A truckload of animals was headed up toward Pikes Peak in the 1940s when the truck broke down. The Bighorn Sheep, now referred to as the Rampart Herd, were released and eventually settled into an area by the Garden of the Gods.
Dozens of CPW workers including not only wildlife officers and biologists, but even office workers, joined the effort. The animals were baited into the area where they were trapped with apple pulp and alfalfa.
"We had about 20 bighorn sheep under the net. We drop the net and all heck broke loose," said Vogrin. The first team wrestled the animals down, then a second team came in.
"They extract the sheep from the net. The veterinarians and the biologists do health checks on all the sheep," Vogrin explained.
The sheep were tranquilized and some were fitted with collars. Then the team placed masks over their eyes and transported them.
The Bighorns were taken from the burn scar area from the 2016 Junkins Fire. The area is healing, but wide open, which the animals like because they can see approaching predators.
After the move, Vogrin said they were doing well.
"They were all pinging alive and well, and moving around and exploring their new habitat," he shared.
