Domestic Livestock Removal

In early July, rafting groups began reporting the presence of a flock of domestic sheep along the Green River in an area frequented by bighorn sheep. The mixing of domestic sheep with bighorn sheep is a concern due to the possibility of transmission of disease. The probable owners of the sheep were contacted and taken down the river to identify the sheep and plan for their removal. The sheep were found to be in an area where they could not easily be herded over land and plans were accordingly made to evacuate them by water. On Saturday, July 15th, four park employees and eight ranchers made their way downriver from Rainbow Park and collected and anesthetized six sheep, which were then placed in rafts, rowed to Split Mountain boat ramp, and offloaded. Unfortunately, one sheep did not survive the trip for unknown reasons.