Sierra Nevada Bighorns vs. Mountain Lions Adapted from: “Counting Sheep: Bighorn NGSS Standards: Sheep and Mountain Lions in the • 5-ESS3-1 Obtain and combine American West” by Elizabeth Clark information about ways individual Department of Biology, Washington communities use science ideas to University in St. Louis protect Earth’s resources (bighorn or mountain lions in this case) and environment Objectives: • MS-LS2-1 Analyze and interpret Students analyze a less traditional data to provide evidence for the endangered species conflict: a legally effects of resource availability on protected but common predator, the organisms and populations of mountain lion, is preying on and driving organisms in an ecosystem. towards extinction an endangered • HS-LS2-1 Use mathematical and/or herbivore, the Sierra Nevada bighorn computational representations to sheep. Biologists concerned with the support explanations of factors preservation of bighorn sheep want to that affect carrying capacity of reduce the lions (cull) to prevent further ecosystems at different scales. harm to the sheep, while mountain lion activists oppose killing of lions for any Common Core State Standards: reason. Students examine the two A variety of Speaking & Listening standards perspectives, debate, and finally vote as a would fit in here, for example: mock California State Senate on whether • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.11-12.1.B to allow culling of lions that kill bighorns. Work with peers to promote civil, democratic discussions and Grade level: Suggested 5th-12th decision-making, set clear goals Duration: 2-3 class sessions and deadlines, and establish Group Size: Whole class/ small individual roles as needed. group • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.11-12.1.C Setting: indoors Propel conversations by posing Materials: and responding to questions that • Cougars Wiping Out Sierra probe reasoning and evidence; Bighorn Sheep, Scientists Say ensure a hearing for a full range article of positions on a topic or issue; • Pre-Case Discussion clarify, verify, or challenge ideas Questions worksheet and conclusions; and promote • History of Sierra Nevada divergent and creative Bighorn Sheep Recovery perspectives. • Voting Ballot • Optional: The Cost of the Bighorn Comeback news article www.wildsheepfoundation.org 412 Pronghorn Trail – Bozeman, MT Background: human safety issues as the human Genetically distinct from all other population of the state continued to grow. wild sheep on the continent, Sierra The passage of the California Wildlife bighorn form an irreplaceable part of the Protection Act of 1990 (Proposition 117) landscape in which they make their by California voters established that homes. Beyond the ecological mountain lions are a "specially protected consequences of extinction, the loss of the mammal" in California and cannot be Sierra Nevada bighorn sheep would have killed. repercussions across centuries of natural With the mountain lion being the and human history, leaving this great main predator of bighorn sheep, a conflict mountain range impoverished forever. arose in California as biologists who There is a lack of historical wished to increase herds of the information needed to pinpoint the exact endangered Sierra Nevada Bighorn were chain of events that led this species to the unable to cull (reduce the population of brink of extinction, but the earliest mountain lions) to help the small number information on disease problems dates of bighorn grow in population. back to the 1870s after the introduction of extensive domestic sheep grazing Focus: throughout the Sierra Nevada. The primary focus of this case is to teach Unregulated hunting, especially market students to formulate an opinion on an hunting near mining towns may have also issue by taking ethics, science, and politics played a role. More recently, an episode of into consideration. Students are often particularly high mountain lion predation accustomed to hearing about conflicts appears to have played a role. between human and environmental Restoration efforts during 1979-88 interests, but this case introduces a new were successful in re-establishing kind of conflict. Here the conflict is populations in three areas, but between an endangered species (Sierra governmental regulatory constraints Nevada bighorn sheep), and its ultimately hindered continuing recovery charismatic predator (the mountain lion). of these sheep relative to management of Students should be forced to consider the predation (from mountain lions) and bases for their positions on the threats from domestic sheep grazing very conservation of endangered species and close to Sierra bighorn. It was deficiencies the ethics of hunting, and use this when in governmental regulatory mechanisms coming to a resolution on the issue. that led to the seeking of federal endangered status in 1999. The total population of Sierra bighorn has shown a Procedures: remarkable recovery since its low ebb of 1) Inform students that they will become about 100 animals in 1995 to more than members of the California State Senate 600 in 2014. and they are in charge of debating and Historically, mountain lions were then voting on a bill (law). Explain that heavily persecuted in California. Classified this is a very heated and debated issue in as a bounty predator from 1907 to 1963, California. You may even pretend to go 12,462 mountain lions were killed in back in time to 1998 during the most California during this bounty process, heated discussions in California (and which was enacted to reduce the number when the news article was written). of livestock and pets they killed, as well as www.wildsheepfoundation.org 412 Pronghorn Trail – Bozeman, MT 2) Before giving them any background on currently has an initial opinion, it is the situation, it is suggested students fill important to listen to every person’s out the two pre-case discussion questions. perspective and voice to help them make a 3) Provide background on the Sierra final vote at the end of the debate. Let the Nevada bighorn. This could be through debate begin. Perhaps encourage students video means (one good 9-minute video is to create a Pro/Con chart during debate the YouTube video Yosemite Nature Notes: discussions. Teacher may also do this on Bighorn Sheep – Episode 27) or reading the board. History of Sierra Nevada Bighorn Recovery. The article only goes up until the issue 7) After the debate, each student with mountain lions preventing the (Senator) would fill out an official voting comeback. ballot. Explain that during official votes, our elected officials vote is not 4) Further introduce and focus on the confidential, but that the public is allowed to know how each person voted. This issue at that time, that the Sierra Nevada bighorn population, even with current often helps determine if the person is re- efforts to reestablish them, were in elected based upon them voting as the jeopardy. One of the main issues seen by majority of their constituents wish them scientists was the predation due to to vote based upon emails, phone calls, mountain lions. Have a class discussion of etc. they receive on issues. Perhaps have a general ideas of both sides: reduce tally chart on the board with each option mountain lions to help bighorns, or and as the teacher reads the Senator’s continue to allow populations of mountain name from the voting slip, add a tally into lions to stay constant even though it may the appropriate column, eventually impact bighorns. Begin to allow students leading to a visual of how many voted for each side and the total decision based to see where their opinion is on the mater. Read the article from the time called upon majority. Cougars Wiping Out Sierra Bighorn Sheep, Scientists Say to allow students more time 8) Return to the pre-case discussion to gather information to form an opinion. questions originally answered. Re-address these at the end of the case to bring closure to the case by reminding students 5) Debate groups form based upon opinions. Allow time for each side to get of their initial responses and allowing together to form strong arguments to back them time to analyze why any opinions up their opinion. Write these down to be have changed. This could be a good time used during the “formal” Senate hearing. for some sort of assessment, such as a reflection on why many issues in our 6) Officially introduce that the class is now society are not easily fixed and how there the California State Senate and they have a are many sides to each situation. heavy task of officially deciding on the 9) Perhaps explain where the issue is issue. Remind them, that as elected today. You can find the rest of article officials, they all have a responsibility of History of Sierra Nevada Bighorn Recovery put their own opinions aside when voting for a discussion after the debate/lesson at on the law, and that this debate is to try to https://www.nps.gov/yose/learn/nature bring out ALL the issues and ALL the /sheep-history.htm and perhaps reveal possible facts to make an informed the decision that “The California State decision. That although each student Legislature, reacting to media attention www.wildsheepfoundation.org 412 Pronghorn Trail – Bozeman, MT over the fate of Sierra bighorn, in a rare Videos: almost-unanimous vote, approved a https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qCf4 change in the 1990 initiative to allow 7SrgDss&t=127s (Sierra Nevada Bighorn control of mountain lions to protect history, found on YouTube: Yosemite bighorn sheep in California. In another Nature Notes: Bighorn Sheep -Episode 27) unprecedented action, that legislature also initiated financial support for a Can rent a 60-minute film on the issue at state-led recovery program for these https://www.greenplanetfilms.org/produ sheep—a program that continues ct/counting-sheep-restoring-the-sierra- today. Such action by the state nevada-bighorn/ for $2.99 legislature for an endangered species was—and remains—unprecedented.” Additionally, an article written in 2017 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IVj1 does a good job of explaining the outcome 2ZtOFUk (News Cast of Mountain Lions in and how this has transferred to another Catalina Mountains of Arizona with range of sheep in Arizona at the Santa similar issue) Catalina mountains.