Arizona Game and Fish used two helicopters to round up 31 bighorn sheep from the Trigo Mountains north of Yuma over the weekend.
Specialized guns armed with nets were deployed out the sides of helicopters to collect one sheep at a time to be relocated to the Catalina Mountains near Tucson.
Wildlife Health Specialist for Game and Fish, Anne Justice-Allen is the main veterinarian in charge of overseeing the health and safety of the animals. Doctor Justice-Allen says their number one concern is keeping the bighorn sheep from over-heating.
The teams fitted the sheep with GPS collars, so researchers can watch how well they thrive in their new environment.
Game and Fish estimates the Trigo Mountains are home to more than 400 bighorn sheep. The population that was once large in the Catalina Mountains died out in the 1990s.