Conservation strategies for this species were presented at the conference.
– February 11, 2022 –
As part of the UABC’s 65th Anniversary celebration and the UABC Foundation’s Santuario Cimarrón Annual Operations Program, the Master Conference “The Bighorn Sheep: The Guardian of Biodiversity” was presented by Dr. Raul Valdez, who for more than 50 years has led and participated in studies around the world on the conservation of various species of wild bighorn sheep.
Before the presentation, Mr. Reginaldo Martín Esquer Félix, coordinator of the Cimarrón Sanctuary, explained that this is the beginning of a cycle of conferences called Alberto Tapia Landeros, whose goal is to honor the memory of the teacher who was and is a great reference in the study of natural resources in Baja California.
“The goal of this cycle is to provide and disseminate valuable information on the bighorn sheep from experts in the field, with the idea of forming in the public criteria based on conservation, as well as other species of flora and fauna,” he said.
For his part, Dr. Alberto Leopoldo Morán y Solares, Director of the School of Sciences, explained that this conference celebrates 65 years of effort and hard work of a dynamic and vigorous community that has built the UABC through teaching, research, outreach and extension of culture and services. “The School of Sciences has had the opportunity to contribute to a better understanding of the conservation status of this emblematic species for our institution and our state, the bighorn sheep,” he said.
Master Conference
In his dissertation, Dr. Valdez said that not only the ecological aspect interferes with the conservation of this species, but the economic and social aspects are also involved. In Mexico, the states with bighorn sheep populations are: Baja California, Baja California Sur, Sonora, recovery in Chihuahua, Coahuila and Nuevo León.
He explained that the management of non-conventional enterprises, such as hunting ranches, wild meat production and other forms of ecotourism, complement agricultural activities, make rural life more profitable and improve the quality of rural life.
“Responsible bighorn sheep management is the hope for the survival and permanence of the species and the ejidal communities themselves in the Baja California desert. In this tortuous path of sheep conservation, the participation of local people in the sustainable management of the species is a light at the end of the tunnel,” said Dr. Valdez.
