Bighorn Sheep Research Paper

Words: 494
Pages: 2

Title
BIG HORN SHEEP POPULATION IN BISON RANGE

Abstracts

Bighorn sheep was first introduced to National Bison Range around 1922 with four males and eight females from Banff National Park (Alberta, Canada). This population has suffered excessive inbreeding, around 1985 the effective population size was around 18.5 and a population size of 20 individuals. Immigration was restored experimentally, beginning in 1985 to genetically rescue this herd, from 1985 to 1994, 15 sheep were individually introduced into the herd (one sheep per generation), 14 of these sheep (8 male and 6 female) were from Sun River (Mt) and 1 female immigrant was from Whisky Basin (WY). The translocation was very successful and at present the effective population size is
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Bighorn sheep from Banff National Park (Alberta, Canada) was first introduced into National Bison Range around 1922 with credits to the Pittman-Robertson federal funding that provided the impetus for transplant of all game species ( Miller et al, 2012 ). The population has been monitored continuously since 1979, around 1985, 5 rams were introduced from neighboring Montana herds into this isolation population. A comprehensive genetic sampling began in 1988, and sheep were individually recognizable through individual phenotypes and ear tags (Miller et al, 2012), and a pedigree has been constructed based on behavioral and genetic data (Hogg et al, 2006). A second series of translocations occurred between 1990 and 1994, all from Montana herds except for one female from Wyoming herd. The present distribution and status of bighorn sheep in the National Bison Range is due to improved range conditions, reduced competition for forage from livestock and other wildlife, reductions in domestic sheep and goats, regulated hunting and