The incident started on October 2. Results through October 8:
- FY: 2027
- Scope: Sulphur HMA
- Target: Horses
- AML: 250
- Pre-gather population: 560
- Type: Planned
- Contractor: Cattoor
- Contract amount: $287,650
- Unit cost: $959
- Method: Helicopter
- Category: Cruel and costly (according to advocates)
- Better way: Beat the numbers down permanently with PZP (according to advocates)
- Capture goal: 300
- Removal goal: 300
- Captured: 167, up from 126 on Day 5
- Shipped: 118, up from 81 on Day 5
- Released: None
- Deaths: 2, no change from Day 5
- Average daily take: 23.9
- Unaccounted-for animals: 47
- 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.
The gather stats say 119 shipped.
The death rate is 1.2%.
The capture total includes 54 stallions, 81 mares and 32 foals.
Youngsters represented 19.2% of the animals gathered, large enough to support a herd growth rate of 13 to 14 percent per year.
Of the adults, 40.0% were male and 60.0% were female, no indication of an abnormal sex ratio.
Body condition scores were not given.
The location of the trap site was not disclosed.
There are no plans to treat any of the mares with fertility control and return them to the range, which would prolong the genetic bottleneck created by the roundup.
The HMA is subject to permitted grazing. Resources liberated to date:
- Forage: 2,004 AUMs per year
- Water: 1,670 gallons per day
Public lands within two miles of active trapping locations and temporary holding facilities are closed to the public, with the exception of observers escorted by BLM staff.
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