GREEN RIVER, Wyo. (AP) -- Wyoming wildlife officials plan to capture 20 bighorn sheep in Oregon and release them in the Seminoe Mountains.

The Casper Star-Tribune reports officials plan to capture the sheep shortly after Thanksgiving as part of an ongoing effort to boost the Seminoe Ferris herd. Once numbering in the hundreds, the herd dwindled to about 20 sheep early last year before officials transplanted 20 sheep from Oregon in December, and another 12 from the Devil's Canyon herd near Lovell in January.

Wyoming Game and Fish Department officials had planned to transfer 40 sheep from Antelope Island in Utah's Great Salt Lake, but those sheep became unavailable.

The Game and Fish Commission will consider the plan at its meeting Thursday in Casper.

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Information from: Casper Star-Tribune - Casper, http://www.trib.com

Copyright 2010 The AP.