In June, we settled with the #ForestService to protect nearly half of the wild #BighornSheep in WA state from disease outbreaks originating from domestic sheep.
This is the outgrowth of a 2020 lawsuit filed by Western Watersheds Project and WildEarth Guardians over the agency’s failure to require separation between bighorns and domestic sheep on allotments within the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest that pose a high risk of disease transmission to bighorns.
My husband got stuck behind a ram coming home from work today. (The original video is much longer; he was behind him for quite some time—keeping a respectful distance, of course.)
An #Arizona#wildlife center is receiving up to 120 animals a day suffering from the relentless #heat
"The relentless sun -- it hurts"
By Macie Goldfarb
Published Jul 27, 2023 12:32 PM EDT
"Mosby and her team aren’t the only ones working to protect Arizona’s vulnerable wildlife as the unwavering heat continues to torment animals and humans alike.
"To help the state’s animals survive the #ExtremeWeather, the Arizona Game and Fish Department has been bringing water to the wild to help keep animals hydrated.
"The agency deploys water shipments on trucks and helicopters to man-made catchments across Arizona – some capable of holding up to 10,000 gallons of water, according to habitat planning program manager Joseph Currie.
"Currie estimates there are about 3,000 of these man-made watering holes around the state where #deer, #elk, #BighornSheep and other animals now drink and cool themselves off in the extreme heat.
"When Arizona hit 110 degrees 27 days ago, water gauges showed that usage exploded, Currie said.
"The watering holes were originally created for #quail and #doves to increase hunting population numbers, but newer catchments grew in size over the years as the agency found that more animals needed a drink.
"#Droughts and #HeatWaves are occurring more often and becoming more intense across the nation – particularly in the West and Southwest – creating dangerous conditions and affecting water supplies for wildlife, according to the US Fish and Wildlife Service.
"The program is currently funded by a combination of federal funds and fund-raising efforts. But 'if it keeps heating up and keeps drying out, then of course costs are going to increase,' Currie said."