Friday, September 4, 2015

BLM Emergency Wild Horse Rescue in Nevada


A few days ago on August 31st, 2015, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) began an emergency wild horse roundup in the Cold Creek area near Las Vegas, Nevada.

The roundup was in fact a very needed rescue of the wild horses being impacted by the prolonged drought that we have been going through in the West. The poor horses have bore the brunt of the genuine lack of forage in the region.

Because of the urgency to help the wild horses in the Cold Creek area, BLM Acting State Director John Ruhs said in a written statement that the wild horses in the Wheeler Pass herd management area have been observed eating bark and desert shrub and traveling more than 10 miles to reach water sources. Many horses have been observed to have declining body conditions, and are not expected to make a few weeks without intervention.

"Many of the animals are in very poor condition, and we do not expect the situation to improve any time soon," Mr. Ruhs' statement said.

So yes, on August 29th, the BLM saw fit to get things rolling, and the next day started by using hay and water to gather 200 animals for transfer to a short-term holding facility.

Once there, each horse will receive a veterinary examination and free access to hay and water, the statement said. The horses will later be made available for sale or adoption or will be transferred to a longer term holding pasture.

The following is from the BLM Southern Nevada District/Pahrump Field Office:

Cold Creek Area Wild Horse Emergency Care-Giving Gather
 
Goal of Emergency Gather:

This emergency gather is needed to save the lives of wild horses in the Cold Creek area of the Wheeler Pass Herd Management Area (HMA), which is about 30 miles west of Las Vegas.

A visual assessment of the current body condition of the herd by a licensed vet and experienced BLM staff has established a need to gather and provide emergency actions to approximately 200 head of Wild and Free Roaming Horses located on the public lands.

Our goal is to help as many horses as we can. Many of the animals are in very poor condition, and we do not expect the situation to improve any time soon. Without emergency action, the condition of the Cold Creek horses is expected to further deteriorate.

Details of the Gather:

BLM plans to humanely and gradually gather approximately 200 wild horses through the use of a bait trap gather to minimize stress on individual animals. They will be trailered a short distance to a temporary holding facility at BLM’s Oliver Ranch and will be provided a veterinarian assessment and free access to water and hay.

Adoption:

Once the horses are strong enough to travel, they will be transported to the BLM’s off-range corrals and be made available for adoption, sale, or moved to off-range holding pastures.

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

This gather is being conducted because an assessment of the body condition of the herd determined that much of the herd is in critical condition due to lack of forage. The herd has been stressed for 4 years due to on-going drought.


As can be seen from the pictures in this article, the mares and foals are emaciated, malnourished and in dire condition.

The extended drought conditions this year have severely limited available food. The herd is traveling upwards of 10 miles per-day and is resorting to feeding on vegetation like Joshua Tree and desert shrubs.

The BLM's determination is that without an emergency gather, there would have been a significant die off. For me, I'm thankful that the BLM made the right decision.

Friends, before someone writes to tell me how those horses should have been left to nature to die, or how America shouldn't spend Taxpayer Dollars on horses that some see as "pests," or how America's Wild Horses should be completely eradicated, think about what you may be saying.

Remember that the Obama's spend Millions of Taxpayer Dollars on personal luxuries including being in Alaska right now so that they can be included in a television show being filmed there. With this and the fact that Obama just give away over a hundred Billion Dollars to the Muslim nation of Iran which takes that money and spends it on supporting terrorism, I say spending money to save these BLM horses is a good thing to do..

And frankly, why not save these horses? I rather see the BLM save these horses than letting them starve to death. It is the only truly humane thing to do.

And yes, that's just the way I see it.

Tom Correa








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