Researchers in the Okanagan are working to find a treatment for a skin disease in yil铆k史lxkn (bighorn sheep), as the animal香蕉视频直播檚 population has been decimated in the region over the past two decades.
A sheep pen at Penticton Indian Band (PIB) is the hub of a 12-to-18-month-long research project dedicated to developing a drug for treating Psoroptic mange.
The life-threatening skin condition has resulted in 香蕉视频直播渓arge scale die-offs香蕉视频直播� when it was introduced to the yil铆k史lxkn population in syilx territories around 20 years ago, explained Mackenzie Clarke, a senior tmix史 (wildlife) biologist with the Okanagan Nation Alliance (ONA).
香蕉视频直播淭here was some really severe mange being seen in the population,香蕉视频直播� said Clarke.
香蕉视频直播淭hey香蕉视频直播檝e had it for a number of years now, but we香蕉视频直播檙e still seeing that the population has been reduced by about 60 to 70 per cent. They香蕉视频直播檙e not really growing as much as you香蕉视频直播檇 like them to. The population numbers are kind of stagnated.香蕉视频直播�
According to Clarke, there are 700 bighorn sheep across the Okanagan Valley in syilx homelands.
In the west side of the valley, there香蕉视频直播檚 a herd of 270 to 300 sheep grappling with the mange disease, which was likely passed onto them through rabbits. On the east side, there are sheep populations infected with a type of pneumonia called mycoplasma ovipneumoniae 香蕉视频直播� 香蕉视频直播渕ovi香蕉视频直播� for short 香蕉视频直播� which come from domestic sheep and goats.
香蕉视频直播淭hat香蕉视频直播檚 kind of the two main disease issues we have at the moment,香蕉视频直播� Clarke said. 香蕉视频直播淏oth of these two diseases are human-introduced, unfortunately.香蕉视频直播�
There are nearly 40 sheep 香蕉视频直播� a mix of ewes (female sheep) and their lambs 香蕉视频直播� housed at the sheep pen on PIB land, all infected with mange at varying severities.
The disease is characterized by tiny mites that live on the sheep香蕉视频直播檚 skin. , where they feed off its skin and result in scabs, inflammation, hair loss and more.
香蕉视频直播淭heir hair doesn香蕉视频直播檛 look very good; their skin condition isn香蕉视频直播檛 very good. They get a lot of scabbing, hair loss. They get these scabs in their ears where they can香蕉视频直播檛 hear very well,香蕉视频直播� Clarke said of the sheep.
香蕉视频直播淭hey香蕉视频直播檙e kind of at risk for predation a bit more, or we香蕉视频直播檙e seeing them get hit by cars, because they can香蕉视频直播檛 hear very well, with all these scabs from the mange.香蕉视频直播�
Right now, the focus of the sheep pen香蕉视频直播檚 research is to develop a drug for the mange, not for movi.
They are looking for a drug 香蕉视频直播� or drugs 香蕉视频直播� that would offer longer periods of protection: clearing the mite infestation, and seeing how long the treatment protects them for.
香蕉视频直播淵ou give them the drug. After a certain time of months, you introduce some animals 香蕉视频直播� that would still have mange, and you put them together with the animals that you treated. We香蕉视频直播檙e trying to see how long does it take them to get mange from those animals that had it, again,香蕉视频直播� said Clarke.
香蕉视频直播淚f we treat them with one drug, does it protect them for six months from getting sick again? That gives us a good estimate of how long we have to actually administer that drug out on the land for the populations.香蕉视频直播�
Led by the syilx Nation, the research project has seen , following provincial funding restraints . A number of provincial, regional biologists and even a mange expert from the United Kingdom are also supporting the project, which was at PIB in October of last year.
香蕉视频直播淭his project has been so huge, that it wouldn香蕉视频直播檛 have gotten off the ground without everybody working together like they have been,香蕉视频直播� Clarke said.
香蕉视频直播淭his project is a good example of everybody collaborating together for a common cause, because it香蕉视频直播檚 been such a big undertaking. It shows that if we keep doing that, we can accomplish a lot more.香蕉视频直播�
Water, Land and Resource Stewardship Minister Randene Neill visited the territory and toured the sheep pen site .
During the visit, Minister Neill observed the sheep feeding at the pen, which is a large, open, fenced-off area located on a hillside above the PIB community 香蕉视频直播� not far from the animals香蕉视频直播� natural habitat. Joining her were PIB Chief Greg Gabriel, ONA staff and members of the Wild Sheep Society.
The sheep were timid during the visit 香蕉视频直播� any movement from humans startled them and interrupted their feeding time. They ran up and down the sloping hill, going between their sheltering quarters and the feeding site.
香蕉视频直播淚t was good for (Minister Neill) to come out and see that everybody is trying to work together on something like this 香蕉视频直播� provincial staff; all the NGOs; the bands; ONA,香蕉视频直播� said Clarke.
香蕉视频直播淚t香蕉视频直播檚 a really good example of a collaborative project and how we can try and get more done if we香蕉视频直播檙e all doing it together.香蕉视频直播�
, the ministry had cut funding to provincial wildlife and biodiversity programs, which included the bighorn sheep disease monitoring in the Okanagan region.
The ONA acknowledged the funding woes, saying they 香蕉视频直播渃ertainly will not allow a lack of provincial support to 香蕉视频直播榗ancel香蕉视频直播� the bighorn programs.香蕉视频直播�
香蕉视频直播淭hese circumstances, in the ONA香蕉视频直播檚 view, only add pressure to B.C. to advance co-management agreements, and acknowledge and recognize the syilx Okanagan Nation香蕉视频直播檚 responsibilities for wildlife,香蕉视频直播� ONA released shortly after the budget constraints were revealed.
Jordan Coble, the chairman for ONA香蕉视频直播檚 Natural Resource Committee, said in the same statement that bighorn sheep are 香蕉视频直播渁 relative with whom we have shared tmx史ulax史 (land) and resources for thousands of years.香蕉视频直播�
香蕉视频直播淭here is an inextinguishable responsibility to care for the land and the tmixw (all living creatures), including bighorn sheep,香蕉视频直播� .
The sheep are found in mixed areas throughout the Okanagan, Clarke said, particularly in steeper, cliff areas in the southern-part of the territory.
香蕉视频直播淭hey usually like areas that are close to escape terrains, so areas close to a steep area where they can run away,香蕉视频直播� Clarke said.
Though once an important food source, Clarke said that syilx Nation members rarely hunt and harvest the sheep anymore, because of diseases and the population香蕉视频直播檚 fragility.
She said that 香蕉视频直播渋t香蕉视频直播檚 a concern香蕉视频直播� that nation members can no longer have access to harvesting sheep like they historically used to.
香蕉视频直播淭here香蕉视频直播檚 concern of the health of the land and the ecosystem 香蕉视频直播� usually when the animals are sick, that means that there香蕉视频直播檚 a larger issue going on as well,香蕉视频直播� said Clarke.
Clinical trials
The clinical trials began in February, and are building on the work of a similar clinical drug trial for mange that began in 2016 and concluded one year later.
That first trial found success in trying different drugs, Clarke said, noting that a tagged sheep who had been administered treatment and released back into the wild was later found to have their ears and coat in much better condition.
香蕉视频直播淲e haven香蕉视频直播檛 been able to examine that on a more research scale, but visually looking at it, they seemed in better condition. There does seem like there is some sort of residual effect from the drug from years ago,香蕉视频直播� she said.
香蕉视频直播淭hey did find some success with that trial, which is good. They just kind of ran out of time.香蕉视频直播�
In this set of clinical trials, there are two different drugs being tested, as well as a combination of the two, she said.
香蕉视频直播淚 think we have a pretty good chance of actually finding something that香蕉视频直播檒l work,香蕉视频直播� said Clarke.
香蕉视频直播淲hichever one works, we香蕉视频直播檒l give it to all of the sheep again, and we香蕉视频直播檒l let them all go back where they came from.香蕉视频直播�
The reason why research into treating the mange is the focus instead of the movi is because 香蕉视频直播渋f one sheep has (the mange), they all have it,香蕉视频直播� she said.
香蕉视频直播淲ith the pneumonia, the only thing you can really do is called a test and remove,香蕉视频直播� she said, which is the process of testing the sheep and removing them from the herd if their results come back positive.
香蕉视频直播淯nfortunately, since some of them are carriers, you have to remove them from the population. If those ones are removed, there香蕉视频直播檚 no one to really spread it around anymore,香蕉视频直播� she said.
Once a treatment for the mange is found, Clarke said the focus will be finding a treatment for the movi.
香蕉视频直播淲ith the pneumonia, we know where it is. We香蕉视频直播檙e just leaving it alone right now,香蕉视频直播� she said.
While the disease movement is somewhat slow, Clarke said that researchers are finding a treatment for mange now to avoid having the sheep get infected with both diseases at the same time in the future.
香蕉视频直播淚 think it would hit their population pretty hard,香蕉视频直播� she said. 香蕉视频直播淚香蕉视频直播檝e talked to some biologists down in the states, and they香蕉视频直播檝e seen that when they have the movi and the mange at the same time, they had some really large die-offs in their sheep.香蕉视频直播�
Clarke said that researchers want to have a mange drug ready when more tests and removes are conducted in the future.
香蕉视频直播淪o that we can give every sheep the mange drug anyways, just so that we香蕉视频直播檙e saving the most amount of time and money that we can,香蕉视频直播� she said. 香蕉视频直播淲e香蕉视频直播檒l just try and treat both diseases at the same time.香蕉视频直播�
There香蕉视频直播檚 also the concern of the Okanagan sheep infected with the mange transferring the disease to herd populations in the 香蕉视频直播淯nited States香蕉视频直播� as they migrate, although Clarke noted that there are herds there who are already infected with the mange.
香蕉视频直播淚t香蕉视频直播檚 good if we figure out a drug, because other people can also use it as well in other places,香蕉视频直播� she said. 香蕉视频直播淭hat香蕉视频直播檚 been another big push for us to do this, so that other people can also use our research.香蕉视频直播�
Bringing sheep home after numbers were depleted
, the mange is believed to be partially responsible for historic declines in bighorn sheep populations in the western 香蕉视频直播淯nited States香蕉视频直播� in the late 1800s and early 1900s.
香蕉视频直播淚t is still present, to varying degrees, in some U.S. bighorn populations,香蕉视频直播� the province states.
香蕉视频直播淲e do not know how this disease came to the south Okanagan bighorns.香蕉视频直播�
Before the mass-infestations in the Okanagan, many of the sheep in the territory had been the source of sheep reintroductions in the 香蕉视频直播淯.S.香蕉视频直播�
Recently, Clarke said that ONA has been contacted about bringing some of those sheep back home to the Okanagan.
香蕉视频直播淪ome of those populations have been doing so well that they actually have too many sheep. They were wondering if we wanted sheep back,香蕉视频直播� she said.
香蕉视频直播淭hat香蕉视频直播檚 something we香蕉视频直播檙e starting to work on, is bringing the sheep home. We香蕉视频直播檙e trying to coordinate with Oregon and Utah, to see if we can move some sheep back to the Okanagan.香蕉视频直播�
With sheep populations in the Okanagan having their numbers depleted due to diseases, Clarke said that it would be beneficial to bring the sheep back, once better disease treatments are in place.
In the future, the hope is to have a dedicated sheep program within the syilx Nation 香蕉视频直播� for monitoring, disease work and habitat work.
香蕉视频直播淭hat香蕉视频直播檚 another reason why we香蕉视频直播檙e trying to figure this stuff out right now,香蕉视频直播� she said.
