LAS VEGAS ( KLAS ) — A roundup that aims to remove 2,155 wild horses from the range between Ely and Elko is scheduled to begin on Nov. 1, according to a Bureau of Land Management (BLM) news release.
The Triple B Complex roundup will use a helicopter to round up 2,255 wild horses, with plans to treat up to 50 mares with a birth control drug called GonaCon before releasing those mares back into the wild along with 50 stallions.
Wild Horse Education (WHE), an advocate group, filed a legal motion 10 days before the BLM announcement in an effort to stop the roundup before it starts. The group argues that the BLM “has failed to make a determination of any actual excess wild horses remaining in the Triple B portion of the complex,” according to an Oct. 11 news release. The group sought a temporary restraining order against BLM.
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BLM’s announcement indicates the current population of wild horses on ranges that are part of the Triple B Complex is 3,335. BLM said the ranges should have 472-889 horses — the “Appropriate Management Level” because of the scarcity of water and forage.