Nevada reins in horse herds, but critics decry methods

A two-month roundup of about 2,500 wild horses from public and private lands in northern Nevada began on Monday amid protests that the plan is unnecessary and inhumane. Federal officials said the roundup counteracts overpopulation on 850 square miles of land, which could become unlivable to wildlife and livestock within four years. Bureau of Land Management spokeswoman JoLynn Worley said the agency began gathering horses on Monday in the eastern portion of the Black Rock Range, a stretch of mountains more than 100 miles north of Reno. A contractor transports the horses to corrals using two helicopters under BLM supervision, Worley said. The animals are then trucked to Fallon, Nev., for immunizations and veterinary care, she said. Long-term plans call for the mustangs to be put up for adoption or sent to holding facilities in the Midwest. The agency said a facility in Reno was full of adoptable horses, making it unclear when new animals could be housed pending adoption. Horse advocates say the use of helicopters is inhumane and risks the animals' injury and death. Opponents also contend that winter roundups expose horses to respiratory illness. Suzanne Roy, program director of In Defense of Animals, said the group questions the plan's timing and methods, which prevent public monitoring of the roundup...read more