$5K reward offered for information on bighorn sheep ram poaching near Buckeye

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Lake Mead, NV - June 28: Due to the drought, desert bighorn sheep have more land to roam at Lake Mead, Nevada. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)

BUCKEYE, Ariz. - Officials with the Arizona Game and Fish Department are still seeking information about the poaching of a mature desert bighorn sheep ram south of Buckeye.

The incident occurred July 10 in the Buckeye Hills at Gillespie Dam.

Department officials said they have reason to believe a group of five men seen leaving the scene in two vehicles may have been involved.

"We rely heavily on the assistance of the public in coming forward with information, and we are hopeful that a tip could lead us to those responsible for this heinous criminal act," said Ryan Randall, wildlife manager. "This is a horrible waste of the state’s most precious resource, its wildlife."

The reward for information leading to an arrest in the case now stands at $5,000.

The Game and Fish Department’s Operation Game Thief program has offered $2,500 for information leading to a conviction. The Arizona Desert Bighorn Sheep Society has offered an additional $2,500.