A wild bighorn sheep is back in the wild after falling through ice then spending a night in rehab.
Colorado Parks and Wildlife rescued the ewe bighorn Monday and video released by the agency shows body cam footage of the frigid scene. Gloved hands reach for the sheep which is partially submerged in a small opening of ice on the Taylor River near Gunnison, Colorado.
Single digit temperatures froze the surface of the river while flows underneath fluctuated from 1.5 feet to 2.3 feet the day of the rescue.
“This wasn’t going to be a straightforward rescue,” the agency stated. “Officers had to carefully make their way out onto the river and assess the situation.”
When looping a catch pole around the sheep failed, two state wildlife managers used a tow rope to pull the wild animal out of the hole and onto the ice. Ewes can weigh up to 200 pounds, so hoisting the critter out of the river was a challenge. Rescuers covered the ewe’s eyes to keep her calm during horse trailer transport to a warm place for an overnight rest under observation.
“She was an icicle when she came out of the water,” John Livingston, Colorado Parks and Wildlife Southwest Region public information officer told People. “Many animals would not have survived the stress of this ordeal on top of the effects of prolonged exposure to the freezing cold water.”
Bighorns are hardy animals built for rugged conditions, but they nearly disappeared a century ago due to introduced diseases and unregulated hunting. Colorado’s first transplant of about 300 sheep happened in 1940 with more than 100 transplant operations through the 1980s. There are now an estimated 7,000 bighorns statewide, including the recently rescued ewe. She was returned to her herd Tuesday with the agency reporting her condition as excellent.
“We are glad this ewe is getting a second chance,” Livingston said. “And will hopefully continue to contribute to the herd’s population in her years to come.”
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