Bighorn Sheep Restoration
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The Wildlife and State Parks Divisions teamed up to make history in December 2010 with the reintroduction of desert bighorn sheep at Big Bend Ranch State Park.
13—Today is a historic day for the wildlife division and state parks, because this is one of our more significant wildlife conservation efforts, where we’re collaborating with state parks to reintroduce a species that hasn’t been here in decades.
Clayton Wolf is Wildlife Division Director. Using a helicopter and nets, biologists removed animals from Elephant Mountain Wildlife Management Area, and transported them by trailer to Big Bend Ranch, about an hour and a half away.
20—[helicopter] We’re capturing bighorn sheep, of course, and we’re transplanting them to Big Bend Ranch State Park. They’re part of our natural history out here in West Texas. They were here long before any of us showed up. They’re part of the natural ecosystem out there, and of course, that’s part of our mission to restore those species that have been out here. And, of course, bighorn sheep they’re a flagship species for these mountains.
The animals underwent testing, and most were fitted with radio transmitters, to track them over time.
11—Our bighorn sheep restoration program has been very successful. So, this is just one of those steps in the process. There’s a lot of other private land tracts and public land tracts we hope to restore sheep to one day.
Watch the bighorn sheep relocation effort when you log onto the Texas Parks and Wildlife YouTube channel.
That’s our show… with support from the Wildlife Restoration Program… funding bighorn sheep restoration work in Texas.
For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti.
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