Pneumonia Claims More Bighorn Sheep Wildlife Biologists Worried Epidemic Will Continue To Spread In Hells Canyon

More dead bighorn sheep from an epidemic creeping south in Hells Canyon have government biologists working on another tactic.

Biologists from the Oregon and Washington fish and wildlife departments have discovered two dead bighorn ewes within the Hells Canyon National Recreation Area.

The sheep were on the Oregon side of the Snake across from the mouth of Idaho’s Salmon River. Other nearby bighorns also were sick. Up to 80 live in the vicinity.

The discovery fed fears the pneumonia that emerged in southeastern Washington in November will continue to spread to other bighorn herds in Hells Canyon.

The ewes were about 20 miles south from where biologists had previously found sick sheep.

The appearance of a bacterial pneumonia in southeastern Washington led to a rescue effort by Oregon, Washington and the Idaho Fish and Game Department.

Seventy-two sheep were captured last year and hauled to the Idaho Fish and Game Department’s Wildlife Research Clinic at Caldwell. The epidemic flared up again there, leaving only 19 survivors. At least three dozen bighorns also died along the river breaks.

Washington and Oregon biologists hoped to fly again this weekend to try a new strategy.

Mary Hoverson of the Oregon agency said the crew will use netguns to capture sick sheep, take samples and treat them with an antibiotic before releasing them.

“The potential is pretty great for a catastrophic die-off,” Cole said.Meanwhile, the argument over whether domes tic sheep transmit the disease to the wild bighorns continues.

In January, the Hells Canyon Preservation Council, Nez Perce Tribe, Idaho Wildlife Federation and others sued the Forest Service to stop domestic sheep grazing in Hells Canyon.

A hearing is scheduled in federal court in Portland Feb. 12.