Pregnant bighorn sheep dies in fall

Published: Dec. 31, 2015 at 10:55 PM MST|Updated: Feb. 25, 2016 at 10:55 PM MST
Email This Link
Share on Pinterest
Share on LinkedIn

TUCSON, AZ (Tucson News Now) - Another bighorn sheep has died in the Catalina Mountains, according to the Arizona Game and Fish Department.

The body of a pregnant ewe was found Monday, Dec. 28 with a fractured skull and broken leg.

Game and Fish officials said the ewe likely died after falling off a cliff.

Thirty bighorn sheep have been relocated to the Catalina Mountains every year since 2013 in an effort to restore the bighorn population.

The project got off to a rocky start a few years ago, as mountain lions ate several sheep. Illnesses like pneumonia have been a big concern as well, but wildlife experts said they have taken measures to cut down on the risks.

The sheep are fitted with GPS collars so Game and Fish can track the animals.

As of Dec. 30, there are 57 collared sheep and eight fairly young bighorns without collars.

Game and Fish has been working to relocate bighorns since 1959. Since then, the population has increased from 1,500 in the entire state to nearly 6,000.

Copyright 2015 Tucson News Now. All rights reserved.