Soaring in helicopters, Co-Hosts Dr. Rae Wynn-Grant and Peter Gros take to the skies on a conservation mission while filming Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom Protecting the Wild episode, “Saving the Sierra Bighorn.” Conservationists use helicopters to capture bighorn sheep, monitor them and take vital health data before releasing the sheep back into the wild.
For Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom fans, the Protecting the Wild episode may seem a bit familiar. It isn’t the first time Wild Kingdom has shown the use of helicopters for bighorn sheep conservation. In the classic series, three episodes feature Hosts Marlin Perkins and Jim Fowler boarding a helicopter for the same task.
Discover how bighorn sheep conservation has changed from 1975 to today.
How bighorn sheep conservation has changed
Wild Kingdom’s first glimpse at bighorn sheep conservation was in the Season 14 episode, “Bighorn Sheep.” In it, Marlin travels to Montana to relocate an overabundance of sheep to a less-populated area 100 miles away. The crew uses helicopters to herd the sheep into an area where conservationists can then collect and transport the sheep to a research base before releasing them back into the wild.
The classic series returned to bighorn sheep conservation later in Season 18’s “Desert Bighorns of Gypsum Canyon.” This time, Marlin gets up close with an ewe, as experts check on the sheep’s health before bringing it into the helicopter to transport it to a processing area. Once there, the ewe is given a physical exam, identification collar and an ear tag.
Finally, in Season 22’s “Operation Bighorn,” Jim gets a turn in the helicopter to help herd the sheep into an area so they can be safely transported and relocated.
Bighorn sheep conservation on Protecting the Wild
Fifty years after the Wild Kingdom’s first foray into bighorn sheep conservation, Wild Kingdom Protecting the Wild Co-Hosts Peter and Dr. Rae are taking their turn in the helicopter. But this time, techniques have changed.
Today, a crew called “muggers” jump out of helicopters to net bighorn sheep, flying them a short distance back to a base camp. Once there, biologists take the sheep’s weight, heart rate, temperature and respiratory rate. The sheep are also drenched in water to help with any stress they may have from the transport. The biologists then swab the sheep’s nose, take blood and hair samples and give the sheep ear tags. Finally, each sheep gets two collars around their neck: a VHF collar that uses radio telemetry to locate them as well as a GPS collar.
As viewers watch the new episode, they’ll notice that the transportation of bighorn sheep is less hands-on than the classic series. This is something seen throughout Protecting the Wild, because with new technology and research, conservationists are able to better understand and protect wildlife.
Read how filming Wild Kingdom has changed over the years.
Protecting the Wild highlights one of these new approaches when Peter joins a team of state agencies, volunteers and the U.S. Marines who are working to assist with drought in the area.
“The bighorn sheep population had been dwindling and most recently challenged by several years of drought,” Peter said. “Lack of rain means lack of green vegetation, which is where sheep derive most of their hydration.”
Peter watched as marine helicopters lowered water tanks on the desert terrain. These tanks collect water during the short rainy season and gravity feed it into drinking slots the sheep can access during a drought.
“I was so impressed to see all the volunteers, biologists, state and federal agencies all working together for the common cause of saving this magnificent species of wildlife in the harsh environments of the California desert,” Peter said.
While focuses and techniques may have evolved over the years, the mission stays the same — protect and conserve bighorn sheep.
Watch Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom Protecting the Wild, weekends on NBC, to see wildlife conservation in action.
