Starting April 1, the Bureau of Land Management Ely District is working to gather and remove approximately 350 wild horses from an area of public land near Caliente.
The BLM said no helicopters will be used in this round-up. Instead, the agency will utilize "temporary bait and water traps consisting of a series of corral panels stocked with water/forage."
This comes after a victory in U.S. District Court for wild horse advocates, where a judge ruled the BLM failed to adopt a legal herd management plan before 31 mustangs died during a roundup last summer.
See More: Advocates pushing for more humane measures to control Nevada's wild horse population
The Caliente Complex has nine herd areas that encompass over 911,890 acres. In February of this year, a helicopter survey counted 1,022 wild horses within and directly outside the herd area. The most recent gather for the complex took place in 2019.
All animals identified for removal will be taken to the Axtell off-range corrals, in Axtell, Utah; Delta Wild Horse and Burro Facility, in Delta, Utah; and Sutherland off-range corrals, in Sutherland, Utah. Upon arrival, animals will be checked by a veterinarian and readied for the BLM’s wild horse and burro adoption and sales program.
“Gathering excess wild horses will help the BLM to restore a thriving natural ecological balance on the range and protect it from further deterioration associated with horse overpopulations, as well as protect habitat for wildlife species, including such threatened and endangered species as desert tortoise and southwestern willow flycatcher,” said Robbie McAboy, BLM Ely district manager, in a press release to Channel 13.
“As always, we are committed to conducting safe and humane gather operations as we work to protect animal health by bringing herd sizes down," McAboy said.
