Severe drought conditions and recent wildfires throughout the western United States have destroyed thousands of acres of habitat for America’s wild horses and burros (WH&B), and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is conducting emergency gathers to save as many of these animals as possible.

“We could be facing emergency gathers of more than 4,000 animals,” said Lee Delaney, Group Manager for the BLM’s Wild Horse and Burro program. “Some of the animals are in bad shape and we need to rescue them as soon as possible.”

BLM has scheduled three adoptions in the northeast over the next few months to find good homes for some of these animals. Adoptions are scheduled for Branchville, New Jersey on September 2; Harrington, Delaware on September 16; and Dillsburg, Pennsylvania on November 11. Interested horse lovers can call 800/293-1781 for information on how to adopt a wild horse or burro.

Beyond the emergency gathers, BLM routinely monitors the herds and removes animals when they begin to over populate their herd area. These removals ensure the rangelands will remain healthy for the remaining wild horses and burros, native wildlife, and permitted livestock