Big horn sheep relocation fails, Colorado Parks and Wildlife to try again next year

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) -- Colorado Parks and Wildlife officers had been baiting a herd of big horn sheep in Colorado Springs for over a month in preparation to relocate the herd to Beaver Creek Canyon, just south of Victor, to replace another herd that collapsed due to respiratory illness.

However, come capture day, officers said their plan fell apart. They believe a mountain lion may have had something to do with it.

Biologists and wildlife officers had been using apple mash to round up the bighorn sheep near an old quarry in the Garden of the Gods area, but it's that apple mash that may have lured an unwanted guest to their bait site.

"The day before, really the week leading up to it, we did see some mountain lion tracks in the area," said Cody Wigner with Colorado Parks and Wildlife. "One of our staff members actually saw a mountain lion in the area, which can definitely change the sheep's behavior and make them a little bit on edge."

Officers believe the mountain lion spooked the bighorn sheep further down into Garden of the Gods, about a quarter-mile from the original bait site.

Colorado Parks and Wildlife said they will attempt the relocation again in 2022. They can't try again any sooner because some of the female rams are pregnant, and it would be too dangerous to transport them any later in their pregnancy.

Officers said the window to transport the sheep was so narrow, they only contracted a helicopter to move the sheep for two days. Both days were unsuccessful.

Officers didn’t have a hard number as to how much the project costs, but said they do have enough funds to cover another attempt at it.

They hope is to relocate the sheep to Beaver Creek Canyon, and re-establish a population there, during the first few months of 2022.