Upcoming Wild Horse Roundup in Red Desert

RAWLINS, Wyo. (AP) —Land management officials are planning another wild horse roundup in the Red Desert herd management area. The horses were last removed from the area in 2011. The population has since increased to an estimated 2,100 horses, well above the high end of the Appropriated Management Level.

BLMspokeswoman Sarah Beckwith says a herd can double in size every four years without a natural predator, making the removals necessary to ensure a viable horse population.

American Wild Horse Conservation (formerly American Wild Horse Preservation) spokeswoman Deniz Bolbol says the wild horse population needs to be managed with some other method than removal, noting there are already 50,000 horses and burros in government holding facilities.

The Bureau of Land Management is accepting comments on its preliminary Environmental Assessment for the roundup.

Originally Posted By Associated Press