Rare sheep are U.S.-Mexico border crossers, but they're hitting a sharp new obstacle

"On a dirt road in Imperial County leading toward the Mexico border, the tracks of rare wild sheep press into dusty tire tracks, amid jumbled boulders and spindly ocotillo. The white trucks and SUVs of the U.S. Border Patrol appear like ghosts in the desert. Here, in the Jacumba Wilderness, people are halted at the border by federal agents, but Peninsular bighorn sheep have long migrated back and forth."

"They want to install water sources for sheep stranded on the U.S. side. Without it, "you will see piles of dead sheep," said Aiello, who is a wildlife biologist. Their effort seems to be paying off - to an extent. Border officials are tentatively signaling support for watering holes for bighorn, as well as the installation of small passages in the wall for wildlife, and floodgates to be left open during storms, according to Aiello, who is working closely with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife."

A 30-foot steel border fence and spirals of razor wire have been added in remote sections of the California-Mexico boundary, including the Jacumba Wilderness. Peninsular bighorn sheep migrate across this frontier, giving birth on the U.S. side in winter and spring and crossing into Mexico for water during summer. Closing the border risks stranding sheep without access to scarce water and could cause mass die-offs. Wildlife advocates and state agencies are pressing for mitigations such as watering holes, small wildlife passages, and open floodgates during storms. Border officials have signaled tentative support for some accommodations while agencies advise on implementation.

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