LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — Twenty-four wild horses have died during the Bureau of Land Management’s gather in Lincoln County. The roundup started in early January.

Of the 24 dead, 21 were said to have pre-existing injuries.

In all, more than 1,700 horses have been rounded up in the area.

The agency says it’s doing it to prevent the public lands there from degrading too much.

The horses caught are being sent to government holding pens for now before some become available for adoption.