BLM postpones rehoming originally set for October

Mark DeLap
Posted 11/9/22

Rehoming process on hold per BLM

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BLM postpones rehoming originally set for October

Posted

WHEATLAND – On April 22 of this year a BLM press release from public affairs specialist, Tyson Finnicum stated that a May rehoming of burros and wild horses had to be postponed.

In the release, Finnicum published, “The Bureau of Land Management Wheatland Off-Range Corral has postponed its May 6 wild horse and burro adoption due to a lingering illness affecting horses at the facility.  

On March 28, BLM announced the diagnosis of Streptococcus equi (strangles) in horses at the facility, requiring temporary closure of the corrals and quarantine of animals. Strangles is a contagious bacterial infection similar to strep throat in humans.  

Some horses are still showing signs of illness. Therefore, the closure and quarantine will remain in effect until a veterinarian determines the horses to no longer be infectious. No public tours or adoptions will occur during the closure to reduce stress on the animals and avoid transmission outside the facility.  

The Wheatland Off-Range Corral’s next adoption event is scheduled for Friday, May 20. The BLM and veterinarian continue to assess and care for the horses, and BLM will announce its determination to hold the event at a later date.  

For the latest information on wild horse events, follow BLM Wyoming on Facebook and Twitter or visit https://www.blm.gov/programs/wild-horse-and-burro/adoption-and-sales/events.”

The BLM facility continues to harvest horses and currently are housing and caring for 2600 horses and wild burros. A fall rehoming that was supposed to occur Oct. 21 had to again be postponed due to the illness that is lingering in the herd.

In a letter from Richard Packer, BLM communications, he stated, “The Bureau of Land Management’s goal is to ensure healthy herds of wild horses and burros and a healthy landscape. With no natural predators that can control population growth, a wild horse or burro herd can double in size every 4-5 years and quickly overpopulate its habitat. The Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act directs the BLM to manage wild horses and burros to achieve a “thriving natural ecological balance” and, when an overpopulation exists, to gather and remove excess animals and make them available for private care. This mission is even more critical as the West continues to face extreme drought conditions that can put overpopulated wild horse and burro herds at even higher risk for starvation, thirst and habitat degradation. Just last year the BLM conducted emergency actions to save nearly 7,000 drought-stricken animals. As of March 1, 2021, there were an estimated 86,000 wild horses and burros on public lands, which is more than three times the appropriate management level. 

The BLM strives to place animals gathered from overpopulated herds into good, private care through adoptions or sales. Wild horses that are not adopted or sold are placed in a contracted pasture designed to mimic their natural habitat and allow the animals to graze and live out the rest of their lives in a non-corral setting that is also more cost-effective for taxpayers. The BLM procures contracts for wild horse and burro off-range facilities and gather services through an open solicitation process that invites bids from all qualified applicants. All facilities must adhere to required standards designed to prioritize animal welfare, including providing ample space and shelter based on the location and needs of the animals.  

The BLM continues to work to improve the Wild Horse and Burro Program, including measures to reduce costs to taxpayers. Thanks to BLM’s partners and innovative programs like the Adoption Incentive Program and the Online Corral, the BLM placed more animals into private care in Fiscal Year 2021 than has been done in over 20 years. The BLM also continues to expand its fertility control efforts to help control herd growth and reduce the need for removing excess animals from overpopulated herds. The BLM completed a record number of fertility control treatments last year and plans to double that this year. The BLM’s goal is to gradually reduce overpopulation and achieve healthy herds of wild horses and burros on healthy public lands through a combination of gathers, fertility control, adoptions and off-range pastures.”