Marietta Roundup, Day 3

The incident started on August 20.  Results through August 22:

• Scope: Marietta HMA
• Target: Horses and burros
• AML: Zero horses and 104 burros
• Pre-gather population: 31 horses and 387 burros
• Type: Planned
• Method: Helicopter
• Category: Cruel and costly (according to advocates)
• Better way: Shoot females with pesticide-laced darts (according to advocates)
• Goals
  • Horses: Gather 31 and remove 31
  • Burros: Gather 290 and remove 290
• Captured
  • Horses: 25, no change from Day 1
  • Burros: 297, up from zero on Day 1
• Shipped
  • Horses: 21, up from zero on Day 1
  • Burros: 128, up from zero on Day 1
• Released
  • Horses: None
  • Burros: None
• Deaths
  • Horses: 4, up from 3 on Day 1
  • Burros: None
• Average daily take
  • Horses: 8.3
  • Burros: 99.0
• Unaccounted-for animals
  • Horses: None
  • Burros: 169
• Snippet from statute: It is the policy of Congress that wild free-roaming horses and burros shall be protected from capture, branding, harassment, or death
• Snippet from manual: To protect wild horses and burros from unauthorized capture, branding, harassment or death

The figures above are based on the daily reports.

Horses

A stallion was put down on Day 2 for lameness, lifting the death rate to 16%.

The capture total includes 6 stallions, 14 mares and 5 foals.

Youngsters represented 20% of the animals gathered.

Of the adults, 30% were male and 70% were female.

Body condition scores were not given.

Burros

The capture goal has been exceeded by 2.4%.

The capture total includes 111 jacks, 121 jennies and 65 foals.

Youngsters represented 21.9% of the animals gathered.

Of the adults, 47.8% were male and 52.2% were female.

General

The location of the trap site is not known.

The HMA is not subject to permitted grazing.

There are no plans to treat any of the animals with fertility control pesticides and return them to the range.

RELATED: Marietta Roundup in Progress.