Another massive bighorn die-off has taken place in the Hay’s Canyon Range of northwest Nevada. The Nevada Department of Wildlife believes that disease is responsible following lab results. Over 100 bighorn fell victim.

State believes disease responsible for big horn die-off

The results show that disease is responsible but as the case with bighorn die-offs throughout the west the vector of the disease transmission is omitted from coverage of the story ~ as if it was a mystery:

Unfortunately it may be some time before NDOW biologists have a good understanding of the factors that initiated this disease event or how many resident bighorn survived it. Respiratory disease in bighorn sheep is especially complex, usually involves multiple factors and specific causes can be very difficult to determine. NDOW will continue to investigate this bighorn sheep die-off and through collaboration with the Department of Agriculture, University of Nevada Reno, NBU, BLM and local ranchers hopes to be able to shed light on what may have contributed to this disease event.

What ?! Is it too controversial to mention the domestic sheep allotment adjacent this range ? The Tuledad Allotment ! That the presence of domestic sheep in wild sheep habitat has historically and continues to inevitably result in disease stricken bighorn sheep is no mystery at all ! But alas, even in the good ol’ 21st century we have Livestock apologists within wildlife departments shrouding this tragedy in alleged “mystery” :