Wild horse advocates are seeking to halt federal land managers' plans to remove all mustangs from a large swath of eastern Nevada, saying the animals deserve protection under federal law.
The U.S. Bureau of Land Management has started removing 350 horses southwest of Ely and plans to begin removing 270 more in October near Caliente. The roundups affect all wild horses in an area around Ely covering 1.4 million acres or more than 2,000 square miles.
Horse defender Christine Jubic of Albany, N.Y., filed a petition last week for an emergency order to halt the roundup with the Interior Board of Land Appeals until it can rule on her appeal challenging the roundup. Wild Horse Removal
Removal of Cloud's Herd - YouTube
Big Cattle Vs Wild Mustangs
Most current Mustang herds live in arid areas which grazing cattle cannot fully utilize due to the lack of water sources. Horses are better adapted by evolution to such extreme climates. Wild Horse herds can range nine times as far from water sources as cattle, traveling as much as 50 miles a day. This allows them to utilize areas not grazed by cattle. In addition, horses are "hindgut fermenters," meaning that they digest nutrients by means of the cecum rather than by a multi-chambered stomach. In practical effect, horses can obtain adequate nutrition from poorer forage than can cattle, surviving in areas where cattle will starve. Wild Mustangs Wiki
BLM - "Bureau of Mis-management"
The U.S. Bureau of Land Management has started removing 350 horses southwest of Ely and plans to begin removing 270 more in October near Caliente. The roundups affect all wild horses in an area around Ely covering 1.4 million acres or more than 2,000 square miles.
Horse defender Christine Jubic of Albany, N.Y., filed a petition last week for an emergency order to halt the roundup with the Interior Board of Land Appeals until it can rule on her appeal challenging the roundup. Wild Horse Removal
Removal of Cloud's Herd - YouTube
Big Cattle Vs Wild Mustangs
Most current Mustang herds live in arid areas which grazing cattle cannot fully utilize due to the lack of water sources. Horses are better adapted by evolution to such extreme climates. Wild Horse herds can range nine times as far from water sources as cattle, traveling as much as 50 miles a day. This allows them to utilize areas not grazed by cattle. In addition, horses are "hindgut fermenters," meaning that they digest nutrients by means of the cecum rather than by a multi-chambered stomach. In practical effect, horses can obtain adequate nutrition from poorer forage than can cattle, surviving in areas where cattle will starve. Wild Mustangs Wiki
BLM - "Bureau of Mis-management"
