Emergency Gather Approved for Wild Horse Herd

Organization:

BLM

BLM Office:

Oregon/Washington State Office

Media Contact:

Tara Martinak

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Burns District Office will conduct an emergency wild horse gather within the Weaver Lake portion of the Palomino Buttes Herd Management Area (HMA) this week. This emergency gather is due to lack of water within this portion of the HMA. Once captured, precaution will be given to slowly introduce water to these animals to reduce the likelihood of water intoxication or colic. A veterinarian will be on site to monitor animal condition and make recommendations for treatment of weak or poor condition horses. The BLM will gather approximately 50-75 wild horses, and all removed horses will be transported to Oregon's Wild Horse Corral Facility in Hines for preparation and placement into the adoption program. All horses over the age of 15 will be returned to the western portion of the HMA when dry conditions subside this winter. The emergency nature of this gather operation, the consequent inability to pre-plan, and the estimated very short gather duration (likely only one gather day), no opportunity for public observation will be available. The public will be able to view all removed horses at Oregon's Wild Horse Corral Facility during normal business hours -- weekdays, 7:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.


The BLM manages more than 245 million acres of public land located primarily in 12 western states, including Alaska, on behalf of the American people. The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. Our mission is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of America’s public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations.