On Wednesday, January 21, the United States Forest Service rescued the last 20 surviving wild horses that had been stranded in the deep snow at California’s Inyo National Forest.
According to the press release by the National Forest Service, the stranded horses had no access to food or water.
The horses had wandered outside of their usual area and became trapped in the heavy snow near Lee Vining. Crews had used bait and water traps to safely rescue the horses. Of the 23 horses rescued and later transported to a temporary holding facility in Bishop, California, three of the horses had to be euthanized because of their critically poor body condition.
Earlier, seven horses were found deceased in the field due to starvation and exposure for an extended amount of time to the snow cover.
Without human intervention, the emaciated horses in poor health would not have survived. The Forest Service staff continues to provide care to stabilize the horses before transporting them to a better equipped facility in the Modoc National Forest.
It is expected to take up to 10 months for the surviving horses to recover.
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