BLM concludes horse gather near Tonopah
BATTLE MOUNTAIN — The Bureau of Land Management on Wednesday concluded a wild horse helicopter gather on the Reveille Herd Management Area (HMA) located about 50 miles east of Tonopah.
About 100-125 wild horses remain in the area and were not gathered.
The BLM gathered 113 and removed 74 wild horses.
A total of 39 horses were released back onto the range. All mares identified for release, a total of 22, were treated with the fertility control vaccine PZP-22 to slow the population growth rate of the remaining population in the area.
“The purpose of the gather was to reduce impact to rangeland health and wildlife habitat by removing excess horses and apply fertility control to mares that were released back to the HMA in order to slow population growth rates and assist in maintaining wild horse population levels below the established appropriate management level (AML) per court decisions from 1987, 2001, and 2002,” federal officials said in a statement. “The post gather population of 100-125 wild horses will allow for at least three years until the population nears the established high AML of 138 wild horses and another gather is scheduled.”
The horses removed from the range were taken to the BLM’s Indian Lakes Off-Range Wild Horse and Burro Corrals located in Fallon, Nev., to be readied for the BLM’s wild horse and burro adoption and sale program.
Horses not adopted or sold will be placed in long-term pastures where they will be humanely cared for and retain their “wild” status and protection under the 1971 Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act.
SOURCE: BLM
