The Campaign Against America’s Wild Horses indicated in the December report that 123 mares received 125 doses of Zonastat-H during the month, 20 given as a primer and 105 as a booster.
Over the life of the program, which began in 2019, the advocates have pumped 8,527 doses of the ovary-killing pesticide into 1,989 mares.
Of the 176 foals born during the year in the primary target zone, 100 died, yielding a 43% chance of survival.
The current population is thought to be 3,471 with 336 horses listed as missing, compared to 3,479 with 350 listed as missing in November.
A goal for January is to “Continue to maximize booster treatments to mares across the Virginia Range before spring breeding season to prevent pregnancies, and continuing to allow for population decrease.”
Not discussed in the report:
- Long-term population goal
- Size of breeding population
- Loss of genetic diversity
- Herd demographics
- Changes in death rates as herd ages
The program is now in its fifth year and many of the mares are at risk of sterility.
The report will be submitted to the Nevada Department of Agriculture.
The Campaign Against America’s Wild Horses is a leader in nonmotorized removal.
RELATED: Virginia Range Darting Update for November 2023.
Western Horse Watchers Association 