LAS VEGAS, Nev. (FOX5) – Mt. Charleston locals and tourists debate whether the wild horses on Mt. Charleston should be relocated off the mountain for their safety.
The U.S. Forest Service tells FOX5 it is weighing options and no decision has been made, but horse encounters are growing more dangerous. Residents report problems such as tourists feeding or petting them and cars hitting them.
Though mountain residents have varying opinions on what should be done, there is equal concern for the safety of the horses.
“People are stopping to look at them, stopping in the middle of the highway. They’re rolling down their windows, they’re feeding them things. It’s encouraging the horses to come on the highway. It’s created accidents. We’ve had several horses killed in the last few years,” said long-time resident and advocate Jean Perry-Jones.
“The problem is that these horses have become domesticated enough to where they’re actually coming in and sticking their heads right inside the cars, looking for food. Somewhere along the line, people are going to get hurt,” said Doug Clinkscales, another mountain resident, who shared with FOX5 video of a stallion approaching cars and demanding food.
Clinkscales said the horses are a major hazard for drivers in the dark, and believes the horses should be relocated. “They really don’t belong here,” he said.
A federal map shows the boundaries for horses lies just outside the Mt. Charleston community. Residents said horses have been in the area for decades.
In a March township meeting, a federal official said that a rescue offered a sanctuary in Pahrump for the horses.
A change.org petition against relocation has more than 1,200 signatures, urging the USFS to keep the horses in the area and step up penalties against people who pet horses.
A USFS spokesperson sent FOX5 the following statement:
“The wild horses that are currently found in the Spring Mountains Recreation Area developed recreation areas in Lee and Kyle Canyons are outside of their designated territory. The presence of wild horses in high-use recreation areas can contribute to negative visitor impacts and unsafe interactions between humans and wild animals. The USDA Forest Service recognizes that there is a need to engage in managing these horses. However, there is no plan in place or timeline for management actions. The Forest Service will engage with the community and seek feedback as part of the planning process when we initiate it. . Request for public engagement will be announced through news releases and social media posts on the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest and Go Mt. Charleston Facebook and X sites.”
In the meantime, locals warn summer tourists to back away from the horses.
“These horses are not your friends. They’re beautiful animals. They just aren’t something for you to pet. If you want to take a picture of them, pull all the way off the road and take pictures from your car or from a really far distance. Don’t get near them. Don’t put yourself in danger. And don’t put us in danger,” said resident Misty Haji-Sheikh.
Signs all over the mountain warn of the federal offense and a $2,000 fine for feeding or petting horses and burros.
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