MT. CHARLESTON (KTNV) — Residents on Mount Charleston are wondering what the future holds for the wild horses they consider part of their community. The band of horses, often seen on the mountain, is now on its way out of the state, according to one resident.
If you have been to Mount Charleston, you most likely have seen the wild horses that roamed the area. Locals who live there have enjoyed having them around, but after years of debate over whether they belong there, it appears the horses have been relocated.
WATCH | Mount Charleston's beloved wild horses relocated to Utah, despite community protests
"This is a family of eight wild horses that we have seen grow up here," said Cheryl Abbate, a local resident.
Many Mount Charleston locals like Abbate, and even some visitors, have become familiar with this particular band of horses.
"We consider them like members of our community," Abbate said.
The U.S. Forest Service has been working on a plan to manage the horses. Last year, a U.S. Forest Service public affairs officer told me the horses were outside their designated territory and contributed to unsafe interactions with visitors.
Signs could be seen around the area asking people not to feed the horses. Abbate said they created a petition to keep the horses there.
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"We acquired about 25,000, over 25,000 signatures," Abbate said.
On Tuesday, the horses were rounded up. I filmed them in a corral near the visitors center and talked to local Tracey Tan, who was there.
"Just announced that they [the Forest Service] were going to take them, so we've been fighting them through legal means. We've been out trying to let the public know, but they did this today," Tan said.
Abbate says the horses were taken from the corral Wednesday morning.
"So apparently they're on their way to Utah right now — Enterprise, Utah. They're going to, I believe, a forester holding facility where they will receive certain vaccinations," Abbate said.
I was in contact with the Forest Service through email on Tuesday and Wednesday to learn more about what is next. As of Wednesday afternoon, I was waiting for their answers.
Abbate says she believes they will be going to a sanctuary, but has concerns about which one.
Residents say just because the horses are relocated doesn't mean it will solve the issues facing the area.
"There are certain issues that were present with the horses that are not going to go away just because the horses have been relocated. There's still trash all over the mountains. There are deer that might get into the trash," Abbate said.
Abbate says they do plan to follow up with the Forest Service to learn about what the future holds for the horses.
The treatment and management of wild horses in Nevada has been controversial for years. Thursday, Congresswoman Dina Titus is expected to introduce a new bill aimed at protecting wild horses. We're told it would ban the use of helicopters in round-ups.
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