Conservation officers seek public’s help after bighorn sheep shot on Westside Road

The B.C. Conservation Officer Service is looking for help from the public as it investigates the illegal killing of a California bighorn sheep in the Central Okanagan.

The conservation service says the ram was shot on Friday, March 20, along Westside Road in the Shelter Cove area around 20 kilometres northwest of Kelowna, according to a media release. A motorist found the ram.

Conservation officers attended the scene and a necropsy revealed the animal had been illegally shot.

The ram was part of the Westside sheep herd which consists of approximately 75 animals.

Bighorn sheep are considered a blue list species which means they are a species of concern due to limited habitat options.

Illegal sheep kills can have serious consequences on the legal harvest, game viewing and genetic quality of local herds.

Conservation officers are asking for the public’s help in finding those responsible. They are requesting anyone with information related to this incident to call the Report All Poachers and Polluters (RAPP) hotline at 1-877-952-7277.

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