LAS VEGAS—The Bureau of Land Management this week said it would soon begin a wild horse and burro gather in the Nevada Wild Horse Range Herd Management Area (HMA), about 30 miles southeast of Tonopah. Operations will begin on or around Dec. 18.
BLM officials said the wild horse and burro population in the HMA is estimated to be more than 160% over the appropriate management level. That level is set for each HMA, and for this location is 300-500 wild horses and no wild burros.
At last count, in March of this year, there were 736 wild horses and 95 wild burros in the HMA, which covers about 1.3 million acres. Since that count, officials say numerous foals have added to the population.
A helicopter-assisted method will be used to round up nearly 650 wild horses and 100 burros. About 150 mares will be treated with Gonacon, a form of contraception, before being released back into the HMA. About 60 studs will also be released with the mares. All of the burros and nearly 450 of the horses will be removed from the range and transported to either the Palomino Valley Off-Range Wild Horse and Burro Corrals, located north of Reno, or the Axtell, Utah BLM Off-Range Wild Horse and Burro Corrals and readied for adoption.
Unlike with other gathers, the public cannot attend or view this operation. The Nevada Wild Horse Range HMA is located entirely within the Nevada Test and Training Range and only official personnel are permitted.
Information on adopting the animals is available here: www.blm.gov/whb. Additional information on the gather is available here.
Source: BLM
