Pneumonia outbreak kills 10 bighorns near Gardiner, Montana

© Brett French/Gazette Staff

Ten bighorn sheep in the Gardiner area have died from an outbreak of pneumonia.

Ten bighorn sheep have died over the past two weeks following an outbreak of pneumonia in a herd that lives along the upper Yellowstone River near Gardiner.

Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks staff has collected a mix of dead rams, lambs and one adult ewe and taken them to the state wildlife lab in Bozeman, where all were determined to have died from pneumonia.

Historically, pneumonia affects bighorn sheep herds differently. According to FWP wildlife veterinarian Jennifer Ramsey, "Sometimes we'll see a large scale, all age die-off in which most of the population dies, and that population never really rebounds. Yet in other herds we seem to see a low-level mortality year after year."

In the Gardiner area, bighorn sheep have experienced a small number of pneumonia cases each of the last few years, but not to this extent.

It is not possible to detect the source of the pneumonia outbreak.

Pneumonia outbreaks have occurred in bighorn sheep populations with no known contact with domestic sheep (or goats). However, research has shown bacteria can be transmitted from healthy domestic sheep (or goats) to bighorn sheep, causing pneumonia in the wild sheep. There are currently flocks of domestic sheep in the area.

FWP, within its scope of authority, works to ensure separation of domestic and wild sheep. This includes the lethal removal of any wild sheep known to have been in direct contact with a domestic sheep.

In the meantime, FWP encourages the public to keep their distance from the Gardiner bighorn sheep, especially at this time as they are stressed. People are asked to report any sick, coughing or dead sheep to the Region 3 headquarters - or wild sheep in close proximity to domestic sheep - by calling 406-994-4042.

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