This week's photo features a Rocky Mountain Bighorn Ram standing along US Highway 34 in the Big Thompson Canyon of Northern Colorado on Thursday afternoon.
Rocky Mountain Big Horn Sheep are common residents of the Big Thompsn Canyon and are often seen grazing, playing and mating along the roadsides.
The Bighorn Sheep (Ovis canadensis) is the mammalian symbol of the
Colorado Division of Wildlife and Colorado's official mammal. Colorado is home to the largest population of the species anywhere. The animals are five to six feet long with a tail three to six inches in length. Rams weigh 150-250 pounds, ewes 120-200. Males are about three feet high at the shoulder, ewes slightly less. Color is usually grayish brown, with a paler belly and a white rump patch. The massive, coiled horns of mature rams may make up to 10 percent of the body weight. Ewes have spike-like horns.
There are two species of Bighorn in Colorado, the Rocky Mountain (above photo), which is native, and the desert bighorn, introduced near Colorado National Monument in 1979. Colorado herds are widely scattered throughout the mountains and foothills of the state. In North America, species of bighorn occur from South British Columbia, southwest Alberta, Idaho and Montana to southeast California, Arizona and New Mexico.
Bighorn are primarily grazers, feeding in meadows, open woodland, and alpine tundra. However, they will also eat forbs (herbaceous plants) in the summer and browse in the winter. Grasses eaten by bighorn include bluegrass, sedges, wheat grass, bromes and fescues. Browse includes willow, mountain mahogany, winterfat and bitter brush. Forbs include clover, cinquefoil and phlox.
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20
year old student, Sierra Krizman
Friday,
April 13th - 20 Year Old Dies Of Meningococcal
Disease...
The Larimer County Department of Health and Environment has been doing investigation and follow-up of the death of a 20-year-old female college student,
Sierra Krizman, who died Tuesday morning of meningococcal disease at McKee Medical Center in Loveland.
Meningococcal disease is a severe infection caused by bacteria called meningococci, also known as Neisseria menigitidis. These are common bacteria that are found in the throats of 5-15% of the population. It is uncommon for these bacteria to cause severe disease, but when they do, life-threatening illness can occur and can lead to rapid death in about 10% of cases.
Health Department staff, along with family members and friends, have been notifying people who had close contact with
Krizman during week prior to the onset of her illness to recommend preventive antibiotics to decrease the chance of additional cases. The bacteria are spread through secretions from the nose and throat.
“Close contacts would include people in the same household, or anyone in direct and close contact with the infected person such as a family member, a boyfriend, or a roommate,” said Dr. Adrienne LeBailly, director of the Larimer County Department of Health and Environment. “These bacteria can be spread by kissing, sharing eating utensils, beverage containers, a toothbrush, a cigarette or other items that would come in contact with the person’s saliva. A person who has had this type of close contact is considered at increased risk and should consider taking certain antibiotics to decrease the chance of getting the disease.”
Casual contacts do not need preventive medication added LeBailly. Casual contacts include those who have been in the same room or space with the infected person, but have not shared items that come in contact with the nose, mouth or throat.
Krizman took classes at both Front Range Community College and at the University of Northern Colorado. She also had friends from CSU with whom she spent time shortly before she became ill. All three schools have been notified, and classmates will receive specific information from their schools. The Health Centers at the two Universities are prepared to treat close contacts as needed.
“There is very little risk in having been in class with this student,” said LeBailly. “It’s the very close friends and other contacts who should consider taking a preventive antibiotic.”
Colorado State University has issued an alert for students who attended a social gathering at Mishawaka Inn on Friday, April 6, particularly those who may have ridden in one of the buses chartered for the event.
Krizman was on one of the buses with CSU students and may have shared beverages or had close contact with other passengers.
Humans are the only natural reservoir of meningococcal bacteria which live in the nose, throat and mouth. They are transmitted person-to-person through respiratory droplets or contact with the oral or nasal secretions of an infected person. The incubation period for this infection (time from exposure to infection and appearance of symptoms) is usually 3 – 4 days, but can vary from 1 – 10 days. Persons are considered infectious for up to 7 days before their illness begins.
Meningococcal infection usually appears in two typical forms: as meningitis (inflammation of the lining of the brain and spinal cord), or as septicemia [sepsis] (infection of the blood). Treatment with antibiotics needs to be started early since the infection spreads rapidly in the body and can lead to death or permanent disability. Preventive treatment is recommended for close contacts to prevent secondary cases.
A vaccine to prevent most types of meningococcal disease, (brand name: Menactra) is also available, and should be considered for young adults entering college, especially those who will be living in dormitories.
Physicians throughout Larimer and Weld counties have been alerted to the infection.
“Those who feel they were in close contact with
Krizman should call their health care provider and tell them of their potential exposure to meningococcal bacteria,” said
LeBailly. “However, those who may have been in the same room or bus or classroom with
Krizman without close contact are at very low risk.”
More information on meningococcal disease, including
symptoms and some helpful resources can be found
via the link provided below:
Thursday,
April 12th - Winter Storm Warning Friday...
The National Weather Service in
Denver has issued a Winter Storm Warning for the
entire Colorado front range, including the
Drake, Glen Haven and Storm Mountain areas, in
effect from midnight tonight through 6PM MDT
Friday.
LIGHT SNOW WILL SPREAD ACROSS
THE MOUNTAINS TODAY, WITH PERIODS OF HEAVY SNOW
LATER TONIGHT AND FRIDAY, ESPECIALLY ON THE EAST
SLOPES OF THE FRONT RANGE. IN GENERAL, 6 TO 12
INCHES OF SNOW IS EXPECTED WITH UP TO 18 INCHES
POSSIBLE IN THE FOOTHILLS.
REMEMBER, A WINTER STORM WARNING
MEANS HAZARDOUS WINTER WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE
IMMINENT OR HIGHLY LIKELY. SIGNIFICANT SNOW
ACCUMULATIONS ARE OCCURRING OR EXPECTED. STRONG
WINDS ARE ALSO POSSIBLE. THIS WILL MAKE TRAVEL
VERY HAZARDOUS OR IMPOSSIBLE.
The brunt of this powerful
Spring storm is expected to track south with the
heaviest snow totals expected south of I-70. A
second extremely potent Spring storm is currently
expected to arrive on Sunday evening or Monday,
bringing additional snowfall to the area.
The
complete text of this official weather warning can
be found via the link provided below.
The National Weather Service in
Denver has issued a Winter Storm Watch for the Colorado mountains and plains, including the
Drake, Glen Haven and Storm Mountain areas, in
effect from late Thursday night though Friday
afternoon.
AN UNSEASONABLY
STRONG STORM SYSTEM IS EXPECTED TO BRING HEAVY
SNOW TO THE HIGH COUNTRY AND PLAINS LATE THURSDAY
NIGHT AND FRIDAY. A STORM SYSTEM FROM THE PACIFIC
NORTHWEST WILL MOVE INTO THE FOUR CORNERS REGION
LATE THURSDAY NIGHT AND AS IT DOES SO, SNOW
WILL SPREAD ACROSS THE REGION. WINDS WILL TURN
NORTHEASTERLY BY FRIDAY MORNING ACROSS THE PLAINS
AND FRONT RANGE URBAN CORRIDOR WHICH WILL LEAD TO
STRONG UPSLOPE FLOW ALONG THE FOOTHILLS. THIS WILL
LEAD TO MODERATE TO OCCASIONALLY HEAVY SNOW FRIDAY
MORNING.
AT THIS TIME, THE
HEAVIEST SNOW ACCUMULATIONS ARE EXPECTED TO OCCUR
IN THE FOOTHILLS SOUTH OF I-70 AND ACROSS THE
PALMER DIVIDE AND SOUTH METRO AREAS. LESSER
AMOUNTS CAN BE EXPECTED ON THE PLAINS. WINDS EAST
OF DENVER WILL CREATE AREAS OF BLOWING AND
DRIFTING SNOW.
PEOPLE
ACROSS COLORADO ARE ENCOURAGED TO KEEP AN EYE ON
THE FORECAST OVER THE NEXT FEW DAYS.
The
complete text of this official weather watch can
be found via the link provided below.
Monday,
April 9th - Prepare Now For Fire Season...
Officials across the state are
advising homeowners in fire prone areas, red
zones, to begin creating defensible space around
their homes now in preparation for the upcoming
wildfire season.
Snowpack
is currently being reported as less than last year
in many areas and disappearing quickly. This could
potentially set the stage for a dangerous fire
season in many parts of the state.
Firefighters
have already begun training in preparation and
homeowners are being advised to do likewise by
creating defensible space around their homes now.
In
depth information on what homeowners can do to
make their homes safer from wildfires can be found
by visiting www.firewise.org
.
