The hybridization of the mouflon with the Hawaiian feral sheep as a management technique

Author:

Walker, Ronald L.

Title:

The hybridization of the mouflon with the Hawaiian feral sheep as a management technique

Year:

1900

Pages:

8 p.

Subject:

Wildlife management Mouflon Sheep Goats

Summary:

Hawaii's unique ecological situation has made necessary unusual forms of wildlife management. Since there are no truly native terrestrial mammals, exotic and feral animals compose the entire mammalian wildlife populations. It is with feral sheep, goats, and cattle that problems of overgrazing and overbrowsing have arisen. Goats are abundant on all the large islands, and until recently wild cattle have been a problem on Hawaii. Feral sheep are found on the Islands of Kahoolawe as well as Hawaii where the largest population of sheep exists. The management of these feral types has consisted of census and harvest, and in certain areas such methods have proved inadequate in controlling populations which are inflicting heavy damage on the habitat. This paper is in the form of a progress report of a hybridization project which was conceived to solve the problem of overpopulation of feral sheep on the Island of Hawaii. The use of the Mouflon, or European bighorn, is an attempt to upgrade the appearance of these sheep and infuse more desirable feeding habits into the new stock. Although the problem is endemic to Hawaii, future use of hybridization as a management technique may be useful in other areas which, due to changing habitats, require a specialized game animal to fill a vacant niche.

Collection:

Monographs