The government of British Columbia has amended its rules to grant wildlife officers expanded authority to euthanize escaped or left-behind domestic sheep to safeguard wild sheep populations. These modifications under the Wildlife Act aim to mitigate the potential transmission of diseases that could result in significant mortality among wild herds.
Both domestic and wild sheep are susceptible to various infectious agents, although their immune responses and disease resilience vary. One such bacterium, M. ovi (Mycoplasma ovipneumoniae), is prevalent in domestic sheep and goats but typically does not cause severe illness. However, it can trigger fatal pneumonia outbreaks in wild sheep.
According to the Ministry of Water, Land, and Resource Stewardship, this bacterium can spread through shared grazing areas, water sources, or salt licks, rapidly infecting wild populations once introduced. The regulatory adjustments now categorize abandoning sheep on Crown land as a violation, empowering authorities to take ownership of the animals.
