LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — Bureau of Land Management officials are planning to do a wild horse and burro roundup in Pahrump this week. Officials said it will be "or or about July 20" on private lands outside the Johnnie Herd Management Area.
This comes after concerns after 11 mustangs died during similar operations in northern Nevada earlier this month. Those deaths included five young foals, four horses with broken necks, and a stallion with a broken rear leg that was chased by a helicopter and horseback rider. Witnesses told the Associated Press the animal tried to run away for 35 minutes before it was euthanized.
Rep. Dina Titus has previously proposed legislation to prevent helicopters from being used to capture animals on federal land. However, the agency previously said they are necessary to access remote herds.
According to BLM spokeswoman Rita Henderson, injuries to wild horses and burros during roundups are rare.
The agency said there are no plans to use helicopters in the Pahrump operation. Agency officials said they will use temporary bait and water traps consisting of a series of corral panels stocked with water and forage.
They're planning on gathering and removing about 25 excess wild horses and 100 excess wild burros. Agency officials said all animals identified for removal will taken to the Ridgecrest Regional Wild Horse and Burro Corrals in Ridgecrest, California. After being checked by a veterinarian, the animals will become part of the agency's wild horse and burro adoption and sales program.
BLM officials said these operations are necessary due to public safety concerts since the animals are crossing state highways and entering private properties causing damage to fencing, water lines, and vegetation.
The agency has previously said they're planning on gathering about 2,000 horses in the northern Nevada area and that the currently population is nearly 14 times what the range can sustain. As of Tuesday, they've gathered 1,087.
Nevada is home to nearly two-thirds of the 68,928 wild horses the bureau estimated were roaming federal lands. The animals are across 10 states from California to Montana.
