Yukon's wild sheep could be at risk of disease outbreak

The Yukon Fish and Game Association is raising concerns about domestic sheep and goats in the territory, and the threat they may pose to the territory's prized wild sheep.

The association's executive director, Gord Zealand, believes it's just a matter of time before a disease outbreak, such as pneumonia, could spread from farms to wild Dall sheep. 

"It is a huge time bomb that we've been afraid of for a long time. And that's why we are absolutely opposed to any kind of game ranching," Zealand said.

A bighorn sheep herd near Clinton, B.C. has lost more than two-thirds of its members since 2013, a drop scientists blame on a particular type of pneumonia that domestic sheep are immune to but that wild sheep are not.

Yukon government vet Jane Harms agrees that pneumonia outbreaks can be a major concern for wild populations.

"Large numbers of the animals will die and that can be pretty devastating. You can basically end up in a situation where an entire herd is gone."

Harms says farm sheep and goats carrying the pneumonia virus often show no symptoms.

Numbers unknown

Yukon's Agriculture Director Tony Hill concedes the government can't track all farm animals, so there's no estimate of how many sheep or goats are kept in Yukon. Still, he says officials are trying to educate livestock owners and encourage them to register the animals they keep.

"There's probably a few hundred of the species in the Yukon, and we just have to get the word out so people understand the risks," he said.

Hill says fencing and guard dog programs are available through the government, but says the best option is simply keeping domestic sheep and goats out of Yukon.

Zealand agrees.

"We've got too much to lose by letting people bring in domesticated sheep," he said.