Thousands of wild horses near Lake Tahoe are becoming an increasing danger to Nevada drivers, but the state's residents have no legal means to control their numbers on their own, the report says.
More than 3,500 horses live in the Virginia Mountains, a 40-mile stretch from Carson City to Reno on the eastern edge of the northern Sierra Nevada, said JJ Goicoechea, a veterinarian and secretary of the Nevada Department of Agriculture. told SF Gate.
He said the population is new to the area, having first arrived after being released or escaped by ranchers in the 1980s and 1990s.
however, nevada lawthe same media reported that the problem horse herd is state property and it is illegal to capture, feed or disturb the horses in any way.
“It is important that residents and visitors do not feed or water the horses,” Goicoechea said. “Not only is this illegal, but it encourages them to move further into urban areas and away from their natural roaming range until they find more food.”
The Virginia Range far exceeds its carrying capacity of approximately 500 to 600 horses, and in addition to straining the local ecosystem, the rapidly growing population in the Reno area poses a danger to drivers. I am.
There were 46 horse-related motor vehicle accidents in 2020, 27 in 2021, 24 in 2022, and 42 as of the end of November 2023, a Nevada Department of Agriculture official told the media. He noted that the statistics only reflect accidents reported in the Virginia Mountains.
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is responsible for maintaining and managing nearly 45,000 additional wild horses in Nevada. The agency estimates there were at least 400 collisions between cars and horses between 2006 and 2018.
Mustangs also pose a danger to people who approach them or try to remove them from their land.
“The NDA has recorded incidents of children being kicked by horses,” Goicoechea said. “These animals can be unpredictable and may charge or kick people nearby, especially if they feel threatened.”
Goikoekea said the wild horse population could increase by about 25% each year.
In response to the balloon population, the Nevada Department of Agriculture, in collaboration with the American Wild Horse Campaign, has sterilized approximately 80% of the horse population, reducing birth rates by 66% over the past four years. SF Gate reported. report.
Other controversial actions, such as BLM roundups, have resulted in the deaths of several horses. In July, 11 Mustangs who escaped from a authorities helicopter died in a roundup of broken bones, sparking a public outcry.
Goicoechea said a new program to monitor the horse population will be announced soon.
Meanwhile, the Arizona BLM plans to remove up to 1,000 wild donkeys from its Black Mountain herd management area. ABC 15 reported this week..
“Wild donkeys have essentially no natural predators, so their populations are rapidly increasing,” Kingman Field Manager Amanda Dodson said in a press release. She says, “If not managed properly, herd size can double in size every five years.
The horses will be sent to the Wild Horse and Lolo facility in California, where they will be available for adoption or sale, officials said.
