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Conservation Officer Service looking for people who killed ram in Kelowna

Conservation officers determined the ram had been shot illegally
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California Bighorn Sheep are native to Kelowna and live in alpine meadows and foothills near rocky cliffs in the Southern and Central Interior ecoprovinces. (Photo - BC Conservation)

WARNING: This story contains a graphic image

The B.C. Conservation Officer Service (BCCOS) is asking for the public’s assistance in finding who is responsible for the death of a California bighorn sheep on March 20 in Kelowna.

According to the service, a motorist observed an injured ram adjacent to the road along Westside Road in the Shelter Cove area 20 km northwest of Kelowna at 5 p.m.

Conservation officers attended the scene and performed a necropsy, determining the ram had been shot illegally.

“The Westside road sheep herd consists of around 75 animals,” BCCOS said in a press release.

“The population has been supplemented with additional animals by translocations on several occasions to help maintain viable numbers. No licensed harvest of Bighorn Sheep occurs in this area”

Bighorn sheep are considered a “blue list” species in British Columbia, which means they are a species of concern because of limited habitat options that keep their population low.

Illegal killing of sheep has serious consequences for legal harvest, game viewing and genetic quality of herds in the area.

Conservation officers are seeking the public’s help in finding those responsible and are asking anyone with information related to this matter or any other wildlife crime to call the Report All Poachers and Polluters (RAPP) hotline at 1-877-952-7277.

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Daniel Taylor
Reporter, Kelowna Capital News
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