Conservation Efforts Yielding Results
It’s nice to see the Az Republic covering this. It’s cool to see some success for the Sonoran Pronghorn. This is a conservation project that I hope continues well into the future. ~DesertRat
Read the full article here: Project near Ajo gives pronghorns second chance
Cabeza Prieta National Wildlife Refuge
The gates slam shut.
A cloud of dust rises as a small herd of pronghorn looks for a way out of the corral. The endangered animals
have fed inside these small, circular corrals in the desert southwest of Phoenix for months, coming and going freely until one December morning the gates close.The corrals are divided into three sections, and biologists open and close gates among these sections until a few of the caramel-colored animals are isolated in one. Five men slip inside and approach them with a long, black net, forcing the pronghorn into a narrow space. The air fills with dust, the sound of hooves and bleating as men and women step behind the animals, grab their legs and slip blindfolds over them. The pronghorn are then carried outside, where biologists begin their work, giving shots and taking genetic samples.
The sun burns brightly, and some of the animals are sprayed with water. The smell of wet fur hangs in the air.
Some animals will be turned back out into a breeding area; others will be released into the wild. Although the process takes only minutes, the biologists have worked toward this moment for years. The capture-and-release is part of an effort to help the animals regain a foothold here in the Sonoran Desert west of Ajo.
In 2002, there were only about 21 Sonoran pronghorn left in the United States. But their numbers are rising as researchers have collaborated to carve out a home on a wildlife refuge, expand the herd with a captive-breeding program and help the animals reclaim their range.
Read the rest of the story at the link above.
