BLM Concludes Pancake Herd Emergency Water Trap Gather

The Bureau of Land Management Ely District has concluded the Pancake Emergency Gather. The BLM removed 297 excess wild horses from the Big Sand Spring Valley portion of the Pancake Herd Management Area located about 30 miles west of Ely or 80 miles northeast of Tonopah.

The BLM removed the horses due to ongoing drought conditions. Without emergency action, the condition of the horses was expected to deteriorate and potentially result in the death of some of the horses within a few weeks. Hay and water were used to gather the horses.

A veterinarian was on-call during gather operations, which were conducted by a contractor. Horses removed from the range were transported to the BLM’s Indian Lakes off-range corrals, in Fallon, Nevada, to be prepared for the BLM’s adoption program.

Appropriate Management Level (AML) for the Pancake HMA is 240-493 wild horses. The current population is estimated at 1,800 wild horses, based on a March 2016 population inventory.

Gather reports are posted on the BLM Ely District website at http://on.doi.gov/1lGnDYC.

For more information, contact Chris Hanefeld, BLM Ely District public affairs specialist, at 775-289-1842 or by email at chanefel@blm.gov.