In light of the population decline, should translocations from the Kofa be stopped?
A8 The last translocation was in 2005. Translocations were suspended after the 2006 survey and none are currently scheduled. Throughout their history on the Kofa, translocations have been adjusted based on the assessment of the herd size and their potential impact on it. The protocols established for the actual conduct of translocations were designed to further reduce any negative impact by limiting chase times and precluding the chasing of any bighorn group more than once during a translocation, thus limiting the take from any one group to no more than two animals. It should also be noted that, in the 50 years since the first successful translocation in 1957, there were 25 years during which there were no translocations, and during the most active translocation period from 1992-2002, the bighorn population reached the highest numbers ever recorded.
