Last week it was burros. Now, this week the Bureau of Land Management is rounding up wild horses. The cowboys started Sunday and put their operation into full swing Monday.
Channel 8 Eyewitness News has exclusive video of the round-up outside Cold Creek near the Indian Springs Correctional Facility. Fifteen horses were seen being guided toward a corral.
The company hired to round-up the wild horses and burros uses a helicopter to move them from up to five miles away. Flying just feet off the ground, the helicopter moved a large pack of horses toward an area barricaded to hold the animals.
From Skywitness 8, larger packs were observed running on their own with a little guidance from the helicopter.
The BLM and U.S. Forest Service say the round-up is necessary because the wild animal herds have become larger than the food in the area will support.
Amy Meketi, U.S. Forest Service natural resource officer, said, "Most of the people in this program have horses or love horses and that is why they are here. Some of the decisions are not easy for them to make, but they know they are the best."
The BLM plans to round up 374 horses and 900 burros from Red Rock through the Spring Mountains to north of Pahrump. Some will be re-released and the rest will be up for adoption.
The company the government hired started west and is working its way east rounding up horses. Many of the residents in Cold Creek question the governments motive and don't support the action.
Email your comments to Reporter Edward Lawrence.
Helicopter round up, Monday, Jan. 8, 2007
Round up pen, Monday, Jan. 8, 2007
Wild horses running near Cold Creek.
