Species Recovery
Sierra Nevada bighorn sheep were listed as an endangered species on January 3, 2000, following emergency listing on April 20, 1999. In 1995, these genetically distinct Bighorn Sheep hit a population low of about 100 total individuals, distributed across 5 separate areas of the southern and central Sierra Nevada, and had increased to about 125 in 1999. Since then conditions have been particularly favorable for population growth, with the total number of individuals reaching about 250 as of 2002. Significant population declines beginning in the late 1980s were associated with the bighorn sheep avoiding low elevation winter ranges.
The Nevada Department of Wildlife estimates that there are 1500 California bighorn sheep located in northwestern Nevada as of 2004. However this population appears to be genetically distinct from the Sierra Nevada population, and may be more properly classified as Desert Bighorn Sheep (O. c. nelsoni).
Read more about this topic: Sierra Nevada Bighorn Sheep
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