Programs: Wild Horse and Burro: Herd Management: Gathers and Removals: 2019 Red Rock Herd Management Area Emergency Wild Horse Gather

2019 Red Rock Herd Management Area Emergency Wild Horse Gather

The Bureau of Land Management’s Southern Nevada District began an emergency wild horse gather on July 29, 2019, and concluded on August 5, 2019, from the Red Rock Herd Management Area in Clark County, Nevada, using the bait and water trap method; no helicopters will be used. The BLM plans to gather and remove approximately 225 excess wild horses.

Purpose of Gather:

The gather is necessary because as there is not enough water to support the number of horses in the area. The Red Rock HMA is over-populated and animal conditions are declining due to range degradation and lack of sustainable water resources.

Details of Gather:

The gather will take place on the Red Rock HMA, which is near Las Vegas in Clark County, Nevada. The gather method will consist of bait and water trapping. The BLM will gather approximately 225 wild horses during the gather event. Excess wild horses removed from the range will be transported to the Ridgecrest Holding Corrals located in Ridgecrest, California, where they will be checked by a veterinarian and readied for the BLM’s wild horse and burro adoption program.

Because of the nature of the bait and water gather method, wild horses are reluctant to approach the trap site when there is too much activity. Therefore, only essential gather operation personnel will be allowed at the trap site during operations.

Background:

The Red Rock HMA encompasses nearly 162,000 acres and has an Appropriate Management Level of 16 to 27 wild horses. With a current population of approximately 275 wild horses, valuable resources have been depleted, affecting the health of those animals. The Red Rock HMA is over-populated and animal conditions are declining due to lack of sustainable water and degradation of range resources.

The BLM’s goal is to help as many horses as possible while protecting the habitat for other wildlife, including water sources and vegetation. Without emergency action, the condition of the wild horses in the Red Rock HMA is expected to deteriorate, potentially resulting in the death of some of the horses within a few weeks.

For more information on the Wild Horse and Burro Program, call 1-866-468-7826 or email wildhorse@blm.gov.

Gather Reports

Monday, August 5

Summary: Gather operations concluded under sunny and hot conditions. Winds were moderate and temperatures ranged from 84 to 110 degrees.

Animals gathered: 0 (0 Studs, 0 Mares, 0 Foals)

Animals shipped: 50 (25 Studs, 17 Mares, 8 Foals)