Deer-trapping experts save bighorn sheep

Press, 28 November 1979, Page 2

Deer-trapping experts save bighorn sheep

NZPA Washington Two New Zealand deertrapping experts have helped save a flock of desert bighorn sheep from death by disease in the mountains of southern New Mexico. Tim Wallis, a pilot, and Colin Yeates, a marksman, Of Wanaka. played key roles in the week-long helicopter roundup of 47 bighorns in the San Andres Mountains near the White Sands missile range. The rescue was mounted to prevent the destruction of New Mexico’s biggest and one of its last surviving desert bighorn flbcks by a scabies epidemic. The outbreak, first identified in the summer of 1978, had wiped out ail but about 70 of the 250 animals that roamed the San Andres Mountains. New Mexico Game and Fish Department officials, fearful that the remaining bighorns ” 'd perish this winter, moved to capture the remnants of the flock and treat them to kill the scabies infestation. Mr Walt Snyder, a de-

partmental officer, said :that Mr Wallis, a frequent visitor to the western United States where he has been engaged in the development •of deer-cap-turing equipment, offered his services for the bighorn roundup. “We are .extremely, happy with their efforts,” but WalliS and Yates could have done the work, but Snyder and Yeates were very professional and proficient and got the job done more quickly.” Mr Snyder said that he and fellow officials were surprised just what ani-mal-capturing techniques and equipment had been developed in New Zealand. “Those two showed us a' film of their capturing red deer in New Zealand and they do things down there we were not aware of.” Mr Wallis' Hew the helicopter round the cliffs and mountaintops and both he and Mr Yeates watched for movement. When they spotted a bighorn Mr Yeates fired a special gun which sent a billowing orange net over the animal.

Crews in support helicopters tranquilised the ’ sheep and flew them out. A few bighorns died from the trauma of being plucked out of the mountains, but Mr Snyder said that veterinarians were convinced almost all of the remaining animals would have, died had they not been car ’’red. “We got 47 live animals. That is a very good tally,” Mr Snyder said. The treatment of the disease is easy; each animal is dipped twice; It could be several years before the bighorns are returned to their natural habitat — the time it will take to make sure the surviving animals. in the wild that were hot captured are dead and that the scabies epidemic is Over. Mr Snyder said that Messrs Wallis and Yeates, who are interested in importirig Canadian elk into New Zealand, spent much or Monday trapping New Mexico elk for the department. They will return home this week.