Philosophy

Monday, March 27, 2017

Beautiful wildlife Southern B.C.'s bighorn sheep

Related image
 
Related image

Southern B.C.'s bighorn sheep at 

risk from disease

Larry Pynn, Vancouver Sun 
An document prepared for Environment Minister Mary Polak states
that surveys of the Ashnola/
Similkameen bighjorn sheep population show a 50-per-cent reduction 
from 2006 to 2013.
Tim Simmons, chief flying instructor with HNZ Topflight, lands in a 
cirque in the Snowy Protected Area during a mountain flying course 
for a Canadian Forces search-and-rescue pilot.HNZ Topflight
 
 
An document prepared for Environment Minister Mary Polak states that surveys of the Ashnola/
Similkameen bighjorn sheep population show a 50-per-cent reduction from 2006 to 2013.




Wild bighorn sheep in southern B.C. are threatened by a new, devastating disease and the province
 is urging a helicopter company to help out by curtailing training flights over important habitat in a 
protected area, a freedom-of-information document reveals.

The province is concerned that flights by Penticton-based HNZ Topflight could be adding unnecessary 
stress, noting that “current helicopter use in Snowy Protected Area conflicts directly with rutting
 (breeding) areas and season and migration routes to 
winter ranges.”

HNZ offers a three-week mountain flying course for about $50,000. About 250 to 300 experienced
 pilots take the course annually, mostly from the Canadian military, RCMP and search-and-rescue 
agencies, the company says.

Surveys of the Ashnola/Similkameen sheep population show a 50-per-cent reduction from 485 
animals from 2006 to 2013, according to an “information note” for Environment Minister Mary Polak. 
“A highly contagious disease, new to Canada (psoroptic sheep mange) is now affecting the population 
and is of significant concern.”

First discovered in the population in 2011, the mange turned up in 2012 in isolated 25,889-hectare
 Snowy Protected Area about 30 kilometres southwest of Keremeos.




Source: http://www.vancouversun.com/health/Southern+bighorn+sheep+risk+
from+disease/10752442/story.html

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