Officials at the U. S. Bureau of Land Management are working with veterinarians to determine what has caused the deaths of 18 wild horses that were being held in the agency's Litchfield Corrals near Susanville.

The animals died over the past two weeks, including the Labor Day holiday weekend.   A veterinarian has examined the animals and sent blood samples to a laboratory to help determine the cause of death.

In the meantime, BLM has  suspended planned horse gathering operations in the High Rock Canyon area of northwestern Nevada, and suspended wild horse and burro adoptions from the corrals.

The affected horses were gathered over the past month from herd areas in the Devil's Garden region of the Modoc National Forest,  and from BLM-managed rangelands near  High Rock Canyon in  northwestern Nevada.  They were being held with approximately 300 horses and burros awaiting public adoption.

"We are working closely with veterinary experts to determine what happened to these animals," said Linda Hansen, manager of the BLM's Eagle Lake Field Office in Susanville.

While no causes have been ruled out, the BLM said there has been no evidence of foul play.

-BLM-