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| Situation Update No. 2 Ref.no.: BH-20100115-24561-USA
Situation Update No. 2
On 2010-01-22 at 04:46:21 [UTC]
Event: Biological Hazard
Location: USA State of Montana Marshall Ski Area (West) Situation: The deadly pneumonia outbreak in West Riverside's bighorn sheep herd has spread, prompting wildlife officials to increase the number of animals to be culled. "It looks like we'll have to kill about 90 to 95 sheep, rather than the 60 to 65 we were hoping to take," Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks spokeswoman Vivica Crowser said on Thursday. "Some sheep east of the containment zone boundary were exhibiting symptoms, so we've had to expand that containment zone farther to the east." Between 160 and 180 bighorns lived in the mountains on either side of the Blackfoot River north of Bonner before the outbreak was discovered last week. FWP wardens had killed 60 sheep as of Wednesday, mostly in the Woody Mountain area above West Riverside. The sheep had become regular visitors to yards and streets in the community about seven miles east of Missoula. The disease usually kills 80 to 90 percent of infected herds, and there is no known vaccine or cure for wild sheep. Crowser said killing the sheep close around Woody Mountain could prevent the disease from spreading to more isolated bands in the Rattlesnake Wilderness and south of Highway 200 across the Blackfoot River. Other bighorn herds can be found around Evaro, Rock Creek and the Bearmouth area. Because the sheep are dying of a disease and may have other health problems, the meat is not being donated to food banks. |  | | | |
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