The government of British Columbia has revised its regulations to grant wildlife officers additional authority to euthanize escaped or neglected domestic sheep to safeguard wild sheep populations. The province’s recent modifications to the Wildlife Act aim to mitigate the risk of disease transmission and potential large-scale die-offs within wild herds.
Both domestic and wild sheep are susceptible to various infectious agents, although their immune responses and disease resistance capabilities differ. Mycoplasma ovipneumoniae (M. ovi), a bacterium commonly present in domestic sheep and goats, typically causes no harm but can trigger fatal pneumonia in wild sheep. The Ministry of Water, Land, and Resource Stewardship highlights the potential transmission of this bacterium through shared grazing areas, water sources, or salt licks, leading to rapid dissemination among wild sheep populations.
Moreover, the regulatory amendments now classify abandoning sheep on Crown land as a violation, enabling the ministry to take ownership of the animals to prevent further risks to wild sheep health.