Cold Creek Orphan Foals Offered for Adoption
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Las Vegas – Orphan wild horse foals rescued from drought-stricken public lands near Las Vegas are now healthy and strong and will be offered for public adoption Saturday, Dec. 19, at the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) Southern Nevada District Office, 4701 N. Torrey Pines Dr. in Las Vegas.
The BLM will offer four fillies ranging in age from five months to a year. The event begins with a preview at 9 a.m. Silent bid adoptions begin at 10 a.m. The minimum bid is $125.
The foals, who were suffering from severe malnutrition, were brought in from the Cold Creek area of the Wheeler Pass Herd Management Area in early September. Las Vegas residents Craig and Becki Leets housed the fillies at their corrals, and with the help of friends, neighbors and volunteers helped them recover.
“It takes a village,” said Becki, who estimates that she and husband Craig have fostered 200 orphan foals over the past 20 years. “We fed horse formula day and night to Darcy Ann, who was about five weeks old when she was rescued. The other foals received hay and nutritional supplements. All of them now accept a halters, lead and load into a trailer.”
Adopters must be at least 18 years old and residents of the United States. Adopted animals must be kept in corrals that offer at least 400 square feet per animal and are surrounded by a pipe or board fence at least five-and-a-half feet tall for foals and gentled horses and six feet tall for older and non-gentled horses.
Two-sided, roofed shelters are required. Animals must be kept in these confined areas until they can be captured, haltered and led. Title to adopted animals initially remains with the U. S. government, but after providing a year of good care, adopters can receive title.
Wild horses and burros are protected by a federal law, the Wild and Free Roaming Horses and Burros Act of 1971. The law requires the BLM to maintain wild populations in balance with other range users, including wildlife and domestic livestock, so that food and water sources are sustained.
More information on wild horse management can be found online at www.wildhorseandburro.blm.gov.
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.