Moriah Roundup, Day 5

The incident started on July 20.  Results through July 24:

• Scope: Moriah HA
• Target: Horses
• AML: Zero
• Pre-gather population: 608
• Type: Planned
• Method: Helicopter
• Category: Cruel and costly (according to advocates)
• Better way: Eliminate the breeding population with PZP (according to advocates)
• Capture goal: 500
• Removal goal: 500
• Captured: 183, up from 94 on Day 3
• Shipped: 96, up from zero on Day 3
• Released: None
• Deaths: 4, up from 3 on Day 3
• Average daily take: 36.6
• Unaccounted-for animals: 83
• 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.

A stallion died of a broken neck on Day 4.

The death rate is 2.2%.

The capture total includes 62 stallions, 79 mares and 42 foals.

Youngsters represented 23% of the animals gathered, consistent with a herd growth rate of 18% per year.

Of the adults, 44% were male and 56% were female, no indication of an abnormal sex ratio.

Body condition scores on Days 4 and 5 ranged from 2 to 4.

The location of the trap site is not known.

The name of the contractor was not provided.

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

The HA is managed principally for livestock.  Resources liberated to date:

• Forage: 2,196 AUMs per year
• Water: 1,830 gallons per day

The project area extends beyond the HA.

PREVIOUS: Moriah Roundup, Day 3.

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