By Dalton LaFerney

Authorities (contractors) have completed the removal of 1,716 “excess” wild horses in Nevada and Utah, according to the Bureau of Land Management.

The BLM gathered the horses from herd management areas in Lincoln County in Nevada and Iron and Beaver counties in Utah. The roundup, which began Jan. 16, ended on Tuesday, according to a BLM release.

“The purpose of the gather was to remove all excess wild horses from areas not designated for or suitable to their long-term management and prevent further degradation of public lands,” the federal agency said.

Of the gathered horses, 28 females were given fertility treatments and released along with 19 males back into the wild.

The bulk of the horses were moved to the Palomino Valley Center Wild Horse and Burro Corrals near Reno, the release said. The BLM said the horses will be adopted, sold or placed in “long-term pastures.”