Dekelaita, D. J., Epps, C. W., Stewart, K. M., Sedinger, J. S., Powers, J. G., Gonzales, B. J., … & Hughson, D. L. (2020). Survival of Adult Female Bighorn Sheep Following a Pneumonia Epizootic. The Journal of Wildlife Management.

Study Highlights:

Objective were to investigate post‐outbreak survival of adult female bighorn across 9 populations from 2014 to 2017 in the Mojave Desert and evaluate the relationship between M. ovipneumoniae infection and survival, while testing effects of range factors that could potentially influence survival.

Tracked survival of 115 radio-collared adult females

Annual survival was negatively correlated with positive infection status at capture but varied across populations with respect to differences in range conditions.

Concluded that summer and autumn forage quality may partially offset the negative effect associated with M. ovipneumoniae infection on host survival.

This study was also featured in a news story by The Wildlife Society- Better forage, climate help bighorns after pneumonia outbreak.

In this news story, the researchers also discuss the possible role of human-built water guzzlers/ water troughs as a contributing factor to the spread of disease among sheep in the Mojave Desert.