RIDGECREST, Calif. (KERO) — On the edge of the City of Ridgecrest sits the Bureau of Land Management’s Wild Horse and Burro Holding and Adoption Facility, where you’re never far from the clip-clopping of hoofs and a whinny in the distance.
“I can come down and listen to them," said Carl Symons, Regional Field for the facility. "It just makes me feel better when you see the animals, you can listen to them whinny in the background."
Symons has been the Regional Field Manager for 10 years. He assists in the surveying, gathering, and rehoming of these animals. Recently the BLM is noticing the need to ramp up roundups due to the rising temperatures and increased drought.
“We are in charge of the habitat and stuff that's out here. There's all sorts of things that happen out here and if we don’t actively manage it, things can get out of balance," said Symons. “There’s known areas, and we monitor those areas trying to get ahead of the curve. The last thing we want is to find out that they ran out of water completely.”
One of the areas monitored is the Fenner Spring, the sole water source in the Piute Mountains. At this time, the spring is unable to support the burro population which can drink around 190 gallons of water a day. In July teams noticed the decreased water supply negatively impacting the health of the herd. So the Needles Field Office, is gathering burros and moving them to the facility in Ridgecrest.
“Some times it’s only 2 or 3 animals, other times it can be 25, 30, or 40 animals in a day," Symons said. "It’s real hard because with the size of the BLM land, trying to find them, every single one of them is really hard. We try to do what we can but they live out there, they know where to hide but we try to do the best that we can.”
In total, the program is looking to remove up to 60 burros. They’re gathered using water and bait traps to lure them into corrals, a process that, as Symons will tell you, is no easy feat.
“On the gather that they were just doing, they got about 5 jacks and the wild horse and burros specialist took my associate with them to help them bring them back and it took the a number of hours to get the jacks in the trailer because they didn't like each other and were being stubborn," Symons said.
The Ridgecrest facility can hold up to 1000 animals. Once there, they receive daily water, ample food, and are cared for until the can be adopted out. Residents are also encouraged to visit the corrals located at located 3647-A Randsburg Wash Road and interact with the animals.
“One of the unique things about this facility is you can see that road goes all the way around the facility so people can come and see the animals 24/7, 365 days a year," Symons said.
For anyone interested in adopting a horse or burro, you can visit visit the Wild Horse and Burro Online Corral. Qualified adopters must meet standard requirements for owning and caring for a wild horse and burro, including specific facility parameters to ensure the safety and health of the animals. Purchasers must meet other requirements as well and certify they will provide a good homes to their purchased animal. For applications and more visit the BLM website here.
