LAS VEGAS, Nev. (FOX5) – Mt. Charleston residents are speaking out about the latest growing problem with wild horses and human encounters: horses get into trash cans, leaving a trail of messes across the mountain, the town and campgrounds.
An anonymous Mt. Charleston resident shared with FOX5 photos of wild horses eating trash scattered in the middle of the street. Other residents tell FOX5, its a sight seen across the mountain in the town, neighborhoods and even campgrounds.
Trash foraging or dumpster-diving is the latest public safety concern for residents, already vocal about risks of dangerous encounters with the wildlife. FOX5 was the first to report that a little girl was kicked in the head by a horse and ended up in the hospital.
“They’re getting into the trash at the campgrounds and in the neighborhoods. I shooed about seven of them away the other day. They actually eat the plastic to-go containers,” said concerned resident Brenda Talley.
That’s not the worst that horses have eaten– or demanded to eat, according to long-time locals Michael and Misty Haji-Shiekh.
“They cleverly pulled the trash cover off the trash can with their with their nose, and they drop it on the side of the trash can. They stick their head in. And I’ve seen them pull out trash bags. People put their trash with food in it. I’m seeing them pulling trash and just eat the bag,” Michael Haji-Shiekh said.
A resident posted on a local Facebook page that “bungee” cords on trash cans are not a good deterrent, as horses chew through them.
Neighbors blame the horses’ appetite for trash on too many people feeding or petting horses.
“Just like they see cars as, ‘oh, that’s where we can get food,’ they now see the trash cans,” Talley said.
Haji-Shiekh describes the horses becoming more demanding for food.
“They literally will stop your car if you’re going slow to try to get fed. It’s become a bit of a hazard,” he said. There was a horse that chased [two women] out of their table and was eating the food off of their picnic table…they’ve been progressively getting more aggressive,” Haji-Shiekh said.
Long-time residents tell FOX5, that horse sightings have become more common on the mountain as the population has grown– leading to more horse-human encounters.
The incidents fuel an ongoing debate: whether the mustangs should be relocated, relocation after child was kicked in the head. A wild horse rescue and a growing number of residents are calling for relocation for the safety of the horses. Other residents are supported by tens of thousands of people in a growing petition, calling for the mustangs to stay.
Republic Services urges residents to not leave garbage out overnight, and put their trash out on the day of service. Residents can request a trash can with locking mechanisms at an additional cost and call customer service at 702-735-5151.
The U.S. Forest Service provided insight on horses and trash foraging in campgrounds, calling for hikers and campers to not leave trash cans overflowing:
Wild horses are not dumpster diving but getting into the trash piled outside the dumpsters on busy days. It is extremely important for the public to practice the Leave No Trace “Pack It In, Pack it Out” principle. If dumpsters are full, the public should take their trash home to thrown away and not leave beside dumpsters for wildlife, including wild horses, to forage through. Trash attracts wildlife and erodes their natural instincts to avoid humans. Also, wildlife often mistake litter for food, leading to ingesting harmful materials causing injury and sometimes death.
Rangers with the U.S. Forest Service also provided the following advice for residents:
- Never leave picnics or human food unattended
- Consider bear-resistant containers for trash disposal
- Remove bird feeders, as well as pet/livestock food to avoid attracting animals
- Do not provide water to wildlife including wild horses
- Fence off grass lawns
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