BLM reminds people to keep distance from wild horses
Organization
BLM Office:
Media Contact:
CODY, Wyo. – As part of its commitment to manage healthy herds of wild horses on public lands, the Bureau of Land Management Cody Field Office reminds the public to always maintain a safe distance from wild horses.
“It’s the time of year when we start to see new foals in the McCullough Peaks Herd Management Area,” said BLM Supervisory Range Management Specialist Tricia Hatle. “It’s imperative that people give the horses their space, move back if they approach and never follow pregnant mares.”
Watching and photographing wild horses at close proximity can create stressful situations that may result in foal abandonment and horses habituated to people. If a wild horse changes its behavior because of your presence, you are too close. It is recommended that you stay 300 feet, the length of one football field, from the wild horses.
Hatle has seen an increase in the number of foal abandonments over the past decade as the popularity of wild horse viewing in general, and the McCullough Peaks herd specifically, has increased.
“I’m happy that people have taken such an interest in the McCullough Peaks herd,” said Hatle, “but the best way to protect these horses and to keep them wild is to enjoy them from a distance.” Hatle recommends taking binoculars and a camera with a telephoto lens when looking for wild horses.
For more information, please contact Hatle at 307-578-5900, or stop by the Cody Field Office at 1002 Blackburn Street.
The BLM manages more than 245 million acres of public land located primarily in 12 western states, including Alaska, on behalf of the American people. The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. Our mission is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of America’s public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations.