“Domestic sheep and goats can commonly carry a bacterium called Mycoplasma ovipneumoniae (M. ovi) that can cause pneumonia and large-scale population die-offs of bighorn sheep following close contact with an infected animal,” explains Anne Hubbs, senior wildlife biologist with the Alberta government.
Signs of the disease in bighorns include coughing, nasal discharge, weight loss and in many cases, death. Unlike their wild counterparts, many domestic animals carrying M. ovi show no visible signs of the disease.
“There are no vaccines or treatments for wild sheep (or mountain goats who are also susceptible to the disease), so maintaining physical separation from domestic sheep and goats is very important.”
Domestic sheep and goat use on crown lands near bighorn sheep ranges is already prohibited (e.g., for industry) or strongly discouraged. Alberta Environment and Protected Areas (AEPA) has identified a Disease Surveillance Zone that extends 50 km east from these ranges, wherein concentrated efforts to understand M. ovi in both wild and domestic sheep/goat species are underway.