Controversial roundup of wild horses in Nevada is complete, officials announce

Federal land managers have finished a major roundup of wild horses from the range north of Reno.

U.S. Bureau of Land Management officials said Friday that 1,922 mustangs were removed from the Calico Mountains Complex.

Agency spokeswoman JoLynn Worley said an estimated 600 horses remain in the complex, which is within the management level of 600 to 900 set for the area.

She said the agency had planned to remove about 2,500 horses but a lot of the mustangs roamed out of the complex after the roundup began Dec. 28.

Activists unsuccessfully sued to stop the roundup, saying it was unnecessary and inhumane.

The BLM said the roundup was needed because an overpopulation of horses is harming native wildlife and the range.

-- Associated Press

Animal news on the go: Follow Unleashed on Facebook and Twitter.

Photo: An activist in costume protests the roundup outside the West L.A. office of Sen. Dianne Feinstein on Jan. 6. Credit: Lawrence K. Ho / Los Angeles Time

Comments

[ArtsAlive]

When the BLM rounds up 90% of a wild horse population in the Calico complex, that's no response to overpopulation. That's a replacement action. Secretary of the Interior, Ken Salazar is a cattle rancher and he's helping his buddies remove wild horse populations so there will be more range available for livestock grazing. Also the Dept. of Energy is working with BLM because they want to put in a natural gas pipeline in the complex. These roundups are catering to powerful special interest groups: cattle ranchers, oil/gas, etc. And the wild horses and burros are toast. They're supposed to be protected by federal law. So much for the law. We have truly lost control of this country as the powerful and wealthy subvert our federal agencies who no longer work for the American people but for the special interests with lots of money.