PLEASE SHARE WITH ALL STAFF, INCLUDING VOLUNTEERS, INTERNS, AND THOSE WITHOUT ACCESS TO EMAIL

Emily and Morgan again with the second of two annual PSAs on Dinosaur NM wildlife…
This PSA delivers guidance on what to do with sightings and reports of very much alive wildlife… particularly wolves, mountain lions, black bears, bighorn sheep, and maybe even a mountain goat!
Wolves On the scene again in Northwest Colorado, a gray wolf pack of up to 6-7 animals was confirmed in 2020 in the greater Browns Park area by Colorado Parks and Wildlife. First seen by hunters in the fall of 2019, they were spending enough time in the area last year to indicate they may be breeding. However, a recent update last month by CPW told us that most of the pack was reported to have been hunted in WY over the last year, where shooting wolves is legal. The status of the pack is largely unknown, but there may be an individual or two remaining. 
Individual wolves have been reported for years in Northwest CO, but a pack returning to the area was new, exciting, and also very controversial. Please immediately report any sign or sighting of a wolf in or near the monument to Emily, Morgan, or any LE ranger. Get coordinates and a photo or video if possible. We will pass along the information to CPW. 
Lions and Bears  While I’m always up for a good wildlife sighting story, I am especially interested in getting specific details on bears and lions. Every year we get multiple reports of bear and lion sightings from around the monument and we are interested in all of them. Most of these are from excited visitors who are lucky to see a bear or a lion from a safe distance and then report the sighting to the closest person in a uniform. This could be you. Having copies of the bear and lion sighting forms (attached) handy in your vehicle, backpack, or raft will help guide you what to ask the reporting party to make these reports as informative as possible. 
Please then send these forms to us as soon as you can.  You can text a picture of the completed form, scan and email it, or drop it in interoffice mail. If there is a report or active situation of a bear or lion (or a fresh kill) in close proximity to people (housing, campgrounds, river camps), please notify a ranger right away. A sighting form can be completed at a later time.
Also attached is guidance on when, where, and how employees are to use bear spray. Please become familiar with these documents (especially if your job takes you into the backcountry regularly) and get with your supervisor or us if you have questions or want to discuss it further.
Sheep and Goats. Goats and Sheep  Bighorn sheep are always a treat to see, but rarely are seen outside of the river canyons here at Dinosaur. The best chance most will have to see bighorn sheep is at the mouth of Split Mountain Canyon across from the Green River and Split Mountain campgrounds or along Jones Hole Creek.
There is a sighting form for bighorn sheep too (see attached) and we are interested in receiving them.  Visitors have fun reporting sheep, so feel free to hand these out liberally, especially to boaters at the put-in boat ramps at Deerlodge and Lodore. If you witness a sheep coughing, listless, or wobbly please let me, Morgan, or a ranger know as soon as you can because this is not good (refer to additional guidance on dead, dying, and sick animals).
There is a rare but real chance that you or a visitor could see a mountain goat at Dinosaur. Sightings in the past have been along the Harpers Corner Road, Canyon Overlook, Echo Park, Whirlpool, and Split Mountain Canyon area. If seen, please report location, the direction of travel, and time seen to a ranger and me/Morgan ASAP. Any photos are highly desirable too.
Need a refresher on how to tell the difference between bighorn sheep and mountain goats? Watch this catchy little video: 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FJyseYPX2IM