Idaho Fish and Game officials plan to lethally remove a small herd of California bighorn sheep near Reynolds Creek, after detecting a pneumonia outbreak that could threaten hundreds of other sheep in the region.Idaho Fish and Ga me says the outbreak is caused by the bacterium Mycoplasma ovipneumoniae (M.ovi), which was discovered in about 30 bighorn sheep in Unit 40. Officials will shoot the sheep from helicopters this winter, which they say offers the greatest likelihood of removing the entire infected herd in the shortest time."This was a difficult decision because no one, including IDFG staff, wants to see these sheep die," said Shane Roberts, Wildlife Bureau Chief. "Unfortunately, it's the right and necessary decision to protect the larger bighorn population in the Owyhees."The Reynolds Creek herd is located about 50 miles from Idaho's core California bighorn populations, which number around 250 animals. However, Idaho Fish and Game highlights that some intermingling occurs between herds, creating substantial risks for disease transmission.Officials say M.ovi outbreaks typically kill about half of infected animals during the initial outbreak and have longer-term effects on lamb survival. Surviving sheep can act as carriers for months or years, continuing to spread the bacteria to unexposed animals."M.ovi doesn't kill quickly," said IDFG staff biologist Hollie Miyasaki. "Once bighorns are sick, they can remain infectious for months, some for years, creating a wide window for an individual animal to spread the bacteria to other sheep."Fish and Game detected the outbreak through intensive monitoring as part of an ongoing research project on Owyhee bighorn sheep. This marks the first M.ovi outbreak detected in any of the Owyhee herds. Testing was also conducted in December 2025 on herds in the Big Jack's Creek, Little Jack's Creek, and Castle Creek drainages; all samples were negative, meaning those herds are disease-free for now.Any salvageable meat will be processed locally and distributed to Idahoans in need through local organizations.The Wild Sheep Foundation expressed support for the decision, recognizing the need to protect larger populations."WSF remains unequivocally supportive of the leadership of the Idaho Department of Fish and Game and their agency managers for their swift and continuing efforts to put and keep wild sheep on Idaho's mountains," said WSF President and CEO Gray N. Thornton.The Idaho Wild Sheep Foundation also backed the approach."While hunter harvesting is usually preferable to professional culling, in this case, we believe that aggressive removal of this small band to prevent the spread of M.ovi to larger herds is the correct course of action," said Triston Warner, President of the Idaho Wild Sheep Foundation.This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy. ...read more read less